Early changes in right ventricular longitudinal function in chronic asymptomatic alcoholics revealed by two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography

BACKGROUND Heart ventricular dysfunction has been characterized as reduced longitudinal function of the right ventricle (RV), and is associated with chronic alcohol abuse. This study investigated the use of two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (2DSTE) to assess the longitudinal systolic and diastolic RV function of patients with alcoholic myocardial damage. METHODS We stratified 92 asymptomatic alcoholic men into three groups of increasing alcohol intake, Groups A-C. Thirty age-matched normal adult men served as the control group. Conventional echocardiography and tricuspid annulus peak systolic excursion (TAPSE) parameters were obtained. 2DSTE parameters were recorded from an apical 4-chamber view of the RV free wall. LV peak global longitudinal systolic strain was calculated from segmental averaging of the three apical long-axis views. RESULTS In Group C, the RV end diastolic diameter (RVEDD) was dramatically higher than that of Groups A, B and the control, while TAPSE was significantly lower in Group C compared with the other experimental groups. In Group B, the longitudinal early diastolic strain rate (SRe) and late diastolic strain rate (SRa) of the RV free wall, and LV longitudinal strain were significantly lower than that of Group A or the control. In Group C, all the 2DSTE parameters were significantly lower than that of the other groups. A significant negative linear correlation was noted between global RV systolic parameters systolic strain peak (S), peak systolic strain rate (SRs) and TAPSE (r1=-0.84, r2=-0.72, respectively, P <0.05). CONCLUSIONS Two-dimensional STE provided an effective and non-invasive method to assess the RV longitudinal function of patients with alcoholic myocardial damage. This methodology may be useful for diagnosing, directing treatment, and judging prognosis of alcoholic cardiac damage.