Key result
Older age (50+ years) was associated with significantly increased left ventricular twist compared to younger age (18-29 years) in healthy adults (15.6 vs 13.5 degrees, P=0.02).
Why the study?
Left ventricular rotation and twist are essential to LV function, but differences across age groups and genders in a healthy population required examination using three-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography.
Cross-Sectional (n=177)
Absolute Event Rate: 15.6% vs 13.5%
p-value: p=0.02
Three-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography demonstrates that left ventricular twist increases with age in healthy adults, establishing baseline normal values for future clinical reference.
Age-specific 3DSTE norms for LV rotation may aid interpretation; leaves open prognostic relevance in disease.
INTRODUCTION: Left ventricular (LV) rotation and twist are essential parts of LV function. Three-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (3DSTE) is a relatively new method and is useful for the quantification of LV wall deformation and rotational parameters. The aim of the present study was to examine LV rotation and twist differences between different age-groups and genders in a healthy population. METHODS: The present study is comprised of 297 healthy adults; 120 adults have been excluded due to inferior image quality. The population was further divided into 4 subgroups based on age decades. RESULTS: Only the LV twist of all patients (13.5 ± 3.7 degree vs 15.6 ± 4.9 degree, P = 0.02) and the LV twist of females (13.0 ± 3.6 degree vs 15.5 ± 5.6 degree, P = 0.03) differed significantly between the age-group of 18-29 years and 50+ years. LV basal and apical rotation were not significantly different between the age-groups; however, they tendentiously increased with aging. No significant differences could be demonstrated regarding LV rotational and twist parameters between genders in any group. A phenomenon called LV rigid body rotation (LV-RBR)-where the base and apex of the LV rotate in the same direction-was present in 10 cases. CONCLUSIONS: Three-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography seems to be a reasonably viable tool for the quantification of LV rotation and twist. Both LV basal and apical rotation and LV twist increase with aging, regardless of gender. LV-RBR is also present in the normal population.
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Kormányos et al. (2019) conducted a cross-sectional in Healthy adults (n=177). Older age (50+ years) vs. Younger age (18-29 years) was evaluated on Left ventricular twist (p=0.02). Older age (50+ years) was associated with significantly increased left ventricular twist compared to younger age (18-29 years) in healthy adults (15.6 vs 13.5 degrees, P=0.02).