Short-term effects of levosimendan on strain/strain rate markers in patients with nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy

Abstract

Objective To investigate whether repetitive measurements of speckle tracking echocardiography (STE)-derived strain (S) and strain rate (SR) could reveal changes in left ventricular function in patients with nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy treated with levosimendan. Methods Results We included 22 consecutive patients (age 53 +/- 12 years) with an ejection fraction (EF) below 35% and New York Heart Association (NYHA) class III-IV symptoms that required intravenous inotropic support despite optimal medical therapy. The absence of any occlusive coronary artery disease was identified via previous coronary angiography in all patients. Echocardiographic variables, including strain/strain rate, and NYHA functional class, were evaluated before and after levosimendan infusion at the 72nd hour and one month. The strain and strain rate values for both left and right ventricles were observed to be increased NYHA functional class and left ventricular EF (P <.05). Conclusion STE can successfully completed conventional echocardiography in the evaluation of patients with decompensated heart failure who were treated with levosimendan.