ISSN 2149-2263 | E-ISSN 2149-2271
The Anatolian Journal of Cardiology
Evaluation of Cardiac Function in Uncomplicated COVID-19 Survivors by 2-Dimensional Speckle Tracking Imaging [Anatol J Cardiol]
Anatol J Cardiol. 2022; 26(11): 841-848 | DOI: 10.5152/AnatolJCardiol.2022.1360

Evaluation of Cardiac Function in Uncomplicated COVID-19 Survivors by 2-Dimensional Speckle Tracking Imaging

Müge Akbulut, Seda Tan, Demet Menekşe Gerede Uludağ, Volkan Kozluca, İrem Dinçer
Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey

Background: COVID-19 is a multi-systemic infectious disease. Nearly 20%-30% of hospitalized patients have evidence of acute myocardial involvement, portending a poorer prognosis. However, information about the long-term effects of the disease on cardiac functions is sparse. As a result, there is a growing concern about the cardiac sequelae of COVID-19 among survivors. This study aimed to investigate the effects of prior mild-moderate COVID-19 infection on cardiac functions, using speckle tracking echocardiography.

Methods: Patients who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 within the previous 6 months and age-, sex-, and risk factor-matched healthy adults were included. All patients underwent a comprehensive echocardiographic examination. Both conventional and 2-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiographic measurements were performed. Serum cardiac biomarkers were also obtained on the day of the echocardiographic study.

Results: Compared with healthy controls, COVID-19 survivors had similar left and right ventricular longitudinal strain values at 6 months. Also, left and right atrial peak systolic strain values did not differ between the groups.

Conclusion: Our study is valuable in putting forth the unaffected ventricular and atrial functions on long term in uncomplicated COVID-19 cases and may decrease the survivors’ anxiety and the number of unnecessary applications to cardiology clinics.

Keywords: COVID-19, echocardiography, 2-dimensional speckle tracking imaging

Müge Akbulut, Seda Tan, Demet Menekşe Gerede Uludağ, Volkan Kozluca, İrem Dinçer. Evaluation of Cardiac Function in Uncomplicated COVID-19 Survivors by 2-Dimensional Speckle Tracking Imaging. Anatol J Cardiol. 2022; 26(11): 841-848

Corresponding Author: Demet Menekşe Gerede Uludağ
Manuscript Language: English


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