Abstract 14136: Right Ventricle Speckle Tracking Analysis During Maximal Exercise in Heart Failure Patients: Possible Indicator of Impaired Ventilatory Efficiency Rather Than Overall Exercise Performance?

Background: Speckle tracking (ST) analysis is a reliable methodology that allow to quantify myocardial functional properties better than traditional echo parameters. Purpose: We considered a heart failure reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) population with the aim to investigate how a 2D ST analysis on right ventricle at peak exercise could help to stratify different cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) functional phenotypes. Methods: 36 HFrEF patients (mean age 69±12; male 69%; NYHA I-II-III-IV 19-17-25-5 %) underwent a maximal CPET evaluation combined with Echo-Doppler and off-line ST analysis. Study population was divided in two groups according to median value of 2D right ventricle longitudinal strain at peak exercise (Group A RVLG at peak < -16 vs Group B ≥ -16). In all patients we performed rest and peak 2D left atrium (LA LG), left and right ventricle longitudinal (LV LG, RV LG) strain, considering RV free-wall LG strain and RV LG global strain. Results: The table reports main echo and CPET result...