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Left ventricular longitudinal function is reduced but partially compensated by increased radial function after heart transplantation

Gjesdal, Grunde LU ; Székely, Anna LU ; Engblom, Henrik LU ; Arheden, Håkan LU ; Braun, Oscar LU and Steding-Ehrenborg, Katarina LU (2025) In JHLT Open 9.
Abstract

Background: In healthy hearts, left ventricular atrioventricular plane displacement (LVAVPD) measured by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) contributes to ∼60% of stroke volume. LVAVPD has been shown to correlate with maximal cardiac output and exercise capacity and is an independent predictor of outcomes in patients with heart failure. We aimed to assess if longitudinal pumping is altered, if LVAVPD is associated with exercise capacity, and if any difference in longitudinal pumping could be explained by the presence of a right bundle branch block (RBBB) in heart-transplanted patients. Method: This single-center study included 34 heart-transplanted patients who had undergone CMR and a cardiopulmonary exercise test as part of a clinical... (More)

Background: In healthy hearts, left ventricular atrioventricular plane displacement (LVAVPD) measured by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) contributes to ∼60% of stroke volume. LVAVPD has been shown to correlate with maximal cardiac output and exercise capacity and is an independent predictor of outcomes in patients with heart failure. We aimed to assess if longitudinal pumping is altered, if LVAVPD is associated with exercise capacity, and if any difference in longitudinal pumping could be explained by the presence of a right bundle branch block (RBBB) in heart-transplanted patients. Method: This single-center study included 34 heart-transplanted patients who had undergone CMR and a cardiopulmonary exercise test as part of a clinical post-transplant surveillance program. Data was compared to 34 healthy sex- and age-matched controls. Results: Heart-transplanted patients had decreased LVAVPD (10.3 vs 13.7 mm, p < 0.01), lower longitudinal contribution (46% vs 53%, p < 0.01), and lower septal contribution (−3% vs 8%, p < 0.01) to stroke volume compared to controls. Furthermore, the lateral contribution was increased (44% vs 28%, p < 0.01) in the heart-transplanted patients. Longitudinal contribution to stroke volume was neither associated with exercise capacity (p = 0.20) nor cardiac output at rest (p = 0.62). There was no difference in LVAVPD in patients with and without RBBB (p = 0.81). Conclusion: Heart-transplanted patients have decreased left ventricular longitudinal function compared to healthy controls, in part compensated by an augmented lateral function. Longitudinal function is not associated with cardiac output at rest or exercise capacity in this patient group. Whether the altered pumping mechanics seen are associated with outcome remains to be investigated.

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author
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, Heart transplant, Left ventricular atrioventricular plane displacement, Longitudinal contribution to stroke volume, Longitudinal heart function
in
JHLT Open
volume
9
article number
100308
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:105010945219
  • pmid:40606292
ISSN
2950-1334
DOI
10.1016/j.jhlto.2025.100308
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
Publisher Copyright: © 2025 International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation
id
70a77cd8-7183-41d1-b31d-734db22177b6
date added to LUP
2025-11-13 14:58:48
date last changed
2025-11-14 03:00:03
@article{70a77cd8-7183-41d1-b31d-734db22177b6,
  abstract     = {{<p>Background: In healthy hearts, left ventricular atrioventricular plane displacement (LVAVPD) measured by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) contributes to ∼60% of stroke volume. LVAVPD has been shown to correlate with maximal cardiac output and exercise capacity and is an independent predictor of outcomes in patients with heart failure. We aimed to assess if longitudinal pumping is altered, if LVAVPD is associated with exercise capacity, and if any difference in longitudinal pumping could be explained by the presence of a right bundle branch block (RBBB) in heart-transplanted patients. Method: This single-center study included 34 heart-transplanted patients who had undergone CMR and a cardiopulmonary exercise test as part of a clinical post-transplant surveillance program. Data was compared to 34 healthy sex- and age-matched controls. Results: Heart-transplanted patients had decreased LVAVPD (10.3 vs 13.7 mm, p &lt; 0.01), lower longitudinal contribution (46% vs 53%, p &lt; 0.01), and lower septal contribution (−3% vs 8%, p &lt; 0.01) to stroke volume compared to controls. Furthermore, the lateral contribution was increased (44% vs 28%, p &lt; 0.01) in the heart-transplanted patients. Longitudinal contribution to stroke volume was neither associated with exercise capacity (p = 0.20) nor cardiac output at rest (p = 0.62). There was no difference in LVAVPD in patients with and without RBBB (p = 0.81). Conclusion: Heart-transplanted patients have decreased left ventricular longitudinal function compared to healthy controls, in part compensated by an augmented lateral function. Longitudinal function is not associated with cardiac output at rest or exercise capacity in this patient group. Whether the altered pumping mechanics seen are associated with outcome remains to be investigated.</p>}},
  author       = {{Gjesdal, Grunde and Székely, Anna and Engblom, Henrik and Arheden, Håkan and Braun, Oscar and Steding-Ehrenborg, Katarina}},
  issn         = {{2950-1334}},
  keywords     = {{Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging; Heart transplant; Left ventricular atrioventricular plane displacement; Longitudinal contribution to stroke volume; Longitudinal heart function}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{JHLT Open}},
  title        = {{Left ventricular longitudinal function is reduced but partially compensated by increased radial function after heart transplantation}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jhlto.2025.100308}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.jhlto.2025.100308}},
  volume       = {{9}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}