Speckle-tracking echocardiography in the assessment and monitoring of left ventricular function in patients with hereditary hemochromatosis

Q: What is the clinical evidence from this study?

Study design: Cohort. Population: Hereditary hemochromatosis (n=88). Intervention: Venesection vs. Baseline (within-patient changes). Primary outcome: 3-year within-patient changes in cardiac function assessed by speckle-tracking echocardiography.

Michał Świątczak; Krzysztof Młodziński; Agata Świątczak; Damian Kaufmann; Elżbieta Wabich; Krystyna Dovbysh; Ludmiła Daniłowicz‐Szymanowicz

doi:10.33963/v.phj.114990

September 25, 2026Kardiologia PolskaOpen Access

Speckle-tracking echocardiography in the assessment and monitoring of left ventricular function in patients with hereditary hemochromatosis

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Key result

Venesection improves LV rotational mechanics but not global longitudinal strain in early-treated hereditary hemochromatosis.

n=88

Why the study?

Does venesection improve left ventricular function as assessed by speckle-tracking echocardiography in adults with hereditary hemochromatosis over 3 years?

Key Points

To evaluate 3-year within-patient changes in left ventricular function using speckle-tracking echocardiography across different treatment phases in patients with hereditary hemochromatosis undergoing venesection.
Prospective, single-center longitudinal study enrolling 59 adults with genetically and biochemically confirmed hereditary hemochromatosis (out of a 79-patient registry) who had complete baseline and 3-year echocardiographic examinations.
Patients were categorized by treatment duration: early treatment (≤6 months, n=30), intermediate treatment (6–24 months, n=11), and long-term treatment (>24 months, n=18).
Standard and speckle-tracking echocardiography evaluated left ventricular ejection fraction, global longitudinal strain, and rotational mechanics (rotation, twist, torsion, and velocities) across the 3-year venesection follow-up.
Peak twisting velocity increased from 110°/s to 144°/s (P=0.03) and peak untwisting velocity improved from −110°/s to −131°/s (P=0.03) in the early-treatment cohort, with no consistent rotational improvements in intermediate or long-term groups.
Left ventricular global longitudinal strain did not significantly change in any subgroup after 3 years of venesection, remaining at −18.4% vs. −19.0% at baseline (P=0.13) in the early group, −19.3% vs. −17.8% (P=0.33) in the intermediate group, and −18.2% vs. −18.8% (P=0.38) in the long-term group.

Study Design

Type

Cohort (n=88)

Multicenter

No

Structured PICO

Does venesection improve left ventricular function as assessed by speckle-tracking echocardiography in adults with hereditary hemochromatosis over 3 years?

P

Population

59 adults with confirmed hereditary hemochromatosis, free of significant structural heart disease, and 29 healthy controls underwent echocardiographic assessment over a 3-year follow-up period.

E

Exposure

Venesection (phlebotomy) treatment for 3 years, monitored longitudinally.

C

Comparator

No untreated control group for the 3-year longitudinal follow-up. 29 healthy age- and sex-matched volunteers served as a comparator at baseline only.

O

Outcome

3-year within-patient changes in left ventricular function assessed by conventional and speckle-tracking echocardiography (STE), focusing on global longitudinal strain (GLS) and LV rotational mechanics.surrogate

Limitations

Single-center design
Smaller treatment-phase subgroups
Absence of an untreated comparator
Relatively limited reproducibility of rotational indices
single-center design
smaller intermediate- and long-term treatment-phase subgroups
absence of an untreated comparator

Implication

Speckle-tracking echocardiography detects subclinical myocardial involvement in hereditary hemochromatosis and shows that venesection improves LV rotational mechanics, but not longitudinal strain, during the early treatment phase.

Abstract

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Discussion

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Cite This Study

Świątczak et al. (2026) conducted a cohort in Hereditary hemochromatosis (n=88). Venesection vs. Baseline (within-patient changes) was evaluated on 3-year within-patient changes in cardiac function assessed by speckle-tracking echocardiography. Over 3 years of venesection, left ventricular rotational mechanics significantly improved in early-treated patients with hereditary hemochromatosis, whereas global longitudinal strain did not improve.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6ad1156c00741cc3fba7d39e https://doi.org/10.33963/v.phj.114990

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Speckle-tracking echocardiography in the assessment and monitoring of left ventricular function in patients with hereditary hemochromatosis

Key Points

Study Design

Structured PICO

Limitations

Implication

Abstract

Discussion

Cite This Study

Speckle-tracking echocardiography in the assessment and monitoring of left ventricular function in patients with hereditary hemochromatosis

Key Points

Study Design

Structured PICO

Limitations

Implication

Abstract

Discussion

Cite This Study

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