Relationship between the severity of mitral regurgitation, left ventricular dysfunction and plasma brain natriuretic peptide level: An observational strain imaging study

Objectives: The aim of the this study was to investigate the relation between mitral regurgitation (MR) and left ventricular (LV) strain (S)/strain rate (SR) imaging and level of BNP. Materials and methods: This is an observational, cross-sectional study. Thirty-one consecutive patients (15 male) with mitral regurgitation (14 patients with moderate MR, 17 patients with severe MR) and age-matched 25 healthy individuals (12 male) were included in the study. Maximal strain/strain rate measurements were recorded. Plasma BNP levels of all subjects were also studied. Scheffe test was used for post hoc analysis. Kruskal Wallis test was used to compare abnormally distributed data. Categoric variables were compared with the chi-square test. Results: S/SR values of all wall segments of left ventricle were decreased in patient with severe MR (p<0.001). However, plasma BNP values were significantly higher in patients with severe MR when compared with the control subjects and patients with moderate MR (p<0.001). Conclusions: Although left ventricle functions with conventional echocardiography in patients with mitral valve regurgitation were normal, subclinic deteriorations of left ventricle were detected in patients with severe mitral valve regurgitation.