Myocardial strain pattern progress in patients with Coarctation of the Aorta undergoing aortic stenting

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Ventricular function evaluation in coarctation of the aorta (CoA) has become more sophisticated and precise with speckle tracking, revealing subclinical changes. However, CoA stenting treatment effects in on myocardial strain are still controversial. This study aimed to estimate the extent to which changes in left ventricular global longitudinal strain (LV GLS) occur in patients with CoA who undergo stenting. METHODS: The study included 21 patients with CoA (median age: 15 years [8-39]) and 21 healthy individuals matched by age and gender. Clinical and echocardiographic evaluations were performed 1 day before, 6 months, and 1 year after stenting. Correlations between LV GLS and arm-leg gradient, isthmus gradient on echocardiogram, age at intervention, left ventricular mass, and ejection fraction were tested. RESULTS: Before treatment, patients with CoA had lower LV GLS than the control group (-18.4% ± 1.96 vs -21.5% ± 1.37; P < .01), showing significant increase to -19.4% ± 2.1 at 6 months and -20.7% ± 2.19 at 1 year, P < .001. Only 28.5% (6 patients) had preserved GLS before treatment, improving to 80.9% (17 patients) in 1 year. The only variable correlated with low LV GLS values before treatment was age at intervention (Spearman's index = -0.571; P = .007). CONCLUSION: Percutaneous therapy showed significant LV GLS improvement 12 months after aortic stenting. Older patients have lower GLS, suggesting that early intervention may have positive effects on preservation of LV systolic function.