1. ULTRASOUND ASSESSMENT OF CARDIAC STRESS IN PATIENTS WITH SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS
Main Article Content
Abstract
Objective: To evaluate left ventricular global longitudinal strain in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, and to identify factors associated with impaired global longitudinal strain in this population.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 69 systemic lupus erythematosus patients diagnosed according to the SLICC (2012) or EULAR (2019) criteria. All patients underwent two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography using GE Vivid S70 (with AFI software). Global longitudinal strain was measured from three apical views: 2-chamber, 3-chamber, and 4-chamber. Clinical data, laboratory parameters, SLEDAI scores, and disease activity levels were collected and analyzed.
Results: The mean global longitudinal strain was -18.5 ± 3.3%. When classified using a threshold of -18%, 40.6% of patients (28/69 = 40.6%) had reduced global longitudinal strain, reflecting a high prevalence of subclinical myocardial dysfunction. Reduced global longitudinal strain was more common in patients with renal impairment, proteinuria, elevated SLEDAI score, low EF, and decreased septal e’ velocity.
Conclusion: Global longitudinal strain is a valuable and sensitive tool for early detection of subclinical left ventricular dysfunction in systemic lupus erythematosus. Routine global longitudinal strain monitoring is recommended for high-risk patients, such as those with high disease activity, nephrotic syndrome, hypertension, or elevated BMI and heart rate.
Article Details
Keywords
Global longitudinal strain, systemic Lupus erythematosus, speckle tracking echocardiography.
References
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