BACKGROUND: Left-ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), the most frequently used parameter to evaluate left ventricular (LV) systolic function, depends not only on LV contractility, but also on different variables such as pre-load and after-load. Three-dimensional wall motion tracking echocardiography (3D-WMT) is a new technique that provides information regarding different new parameters of LV systolic function. Our aim was to evaluate whether the new 3D-WMT-derived LV systolic function parameters are less dependent on load conditions than LVEF. METHODS: In order to modify the load conditions to study the dependence of the different LV systolic function parameters on them, a group of renal failure patients under chronic hemodialysis treatment was selected. The echocardiographic studies, including the 3D-WMT analysis, were performed immediately before and immediately after the hemodialysis session. RESULTS: Thirty-one consecutive patients were enrolled (mean age 65.5 ± 17.0 years; 74.2% men). There was a statistically significant change in predialysis and postdialysis, pre-load and after-load conditions (E/È ratio and systolic blood pressure) and in the LV end-diastolic volume and LVEF. Nevertheless, the findings did not show any significant change before and after dialysis in the 3D-WMT-derived parameters. CONCLUSIONS: LV 3D-wall motion tracking-derived systolic function parameters are less dependent on load conditions than LVEF. They might measure myocardial contractility in a more direct way than LVEF. Thus, hypothetically, they might be useful to detect early and subtle contractility impairments in a wide number of cardiac patients and they could help to optimize the clinical management of such patients.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.