Association between left ventricular global longitudinal strain and adverse left ventricular dilatation after ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction

BACKGROUND: Myocardial infarct size is a major determinant of left ventricular (LV) remodeling after ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction. We evaluated whether LV global longitudinal strain (GLS), proposed as a novel marker of infarct size, is associated with 3- and 6-month LV dilatation after ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction. METHODS AND RESULTS: In the first ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction patients treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention, baseline LVGLS was measured with 2-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography. Patients were dichotomized according to median value. The independent relationship between GLS groups and LV end-diastolic volume at 3 and 6 months (adjusted for clinical and echocardiographic variables) was assessed. The final study population comprised 1041 patients (60±12 years; 76% men). Median LVGLS was -15.0%. Patients with baseline LVGLS>-15.0% exhibited greater LV dilatation at 3 and 6 months compared with patients with GLS≤-15.0% (LV end-diastolic volume 123±44 versus 106±36 mL and 121±43 versus 102±34 mL, respectively; global group-time interaction P