@phdthesis{Sahiti2022,
  author    = {Sahiti, Floran},
  title     = {Myocardial Work - Application and Clinical Characterization of a New Echocardiographic Tool},
  doi       = {10.25972/OPUS-28226},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-282261},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2022},
  abstract  = {1 Summary Left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF) and global longitudinal strain (GLS) are the most commonly used measures of LV function. Yet, they are highly dependent on loading conditions since higher afterload yields lower systolic deformation and thereby a lower LVEF and GLS - despite presumably unchanged LV myocardial contractile strength. Invasive pressure-volume loop measurements represent the reference standard to assess LV function, also considering loading conditions. However, this procedure cannot be used in serial investigations or large sample populations due to its invasive nature. The novel concept of echocardiography-derived assessment of myocardial work (MyW) is based on LV pressure-strain loops, may be a valuable alternative to overcome these challenges, and may also be used with relative ease in large populations. As MyW also accounts for afterload, it is considered less load-dependent than LVEF and GLS. The current PhD work addresses the application and clinical characterization of MyW, an innovative echocardiographic tool. As the method is new, we focused on four main topics: (a) To establish reference values for MyW indices, i.e., Global Work Index (GWI), Global Constructive Work (GCW), Global Wasted Work (GWW), and Global Work Efficiency (GWE); we addressed a wide age range and evaluated the association of MyW indices with age, sex and other clinical and echocardiography parameters in apparently cardiovascular healthy individuals. (b) To investigate the impact of cardiovascular (CV) risk factors on MyW indices and characterize the severity of subclinical LV deterioration in the general population. (c) To assess the association of the LV geometry, i.e., LV mass and dimensions, with MyW indices. (d) To evaluate in-hospital dynamics of MyW indices in patients hospitalized for acute heart failure (AHF). For the PhD thesis, we could make use of two larger cohorts: The STAAB population-based cohort study prospectively recruited and phenotyped a representative sample (5,000 individuals) of the general population of the City of W{\"u}rzburg, aged 30-79 years and free from symptomatic heart failure at the time of inclusion. We focused on the first half of the study sample (n=2473 individuals), which fulfilled the anticipated strata regarding age and sex. The Acute Heart Failure (AHF) Registry is a prospective clinical registry recruiting and phenotyping consecutive patients admitted for decompensated AHF to the Department of Medicine I, University Hospital W{\"u}rzburg, and observing the natural course of the disease. The AHF Registry focuses on the pathophysiological understanding, particularly in relation to the early phase after cardiac decompensation, with the aim to improve diagnosis and better-tailored treatment of patients with AHF. For the current study, we concentrated on patients who provided pairs of echocardiograms acquired early after index hospital admission and prior to discharge. The main findings of the PhD thesis were: From the STAAB cohort study, we determined the feasibility of large-scale MyW derivation and the accuracy of the method. We established reference values for MyW indices based on 779 analyzable, apparently healthy participants (mean age 49 ± 10 years, 59\% women), who were in sinus rhythm, free from CV risk factors or CV disease, and had no significant LV valve disease. Apart from GWI, there were no associations of other MyW indices with sex. Further, we found a disparate association with age, where MyW showed stable values until the age of 45 years, with an upward shift occurring beyond the age of 45. A higher age decade was associated with higher GWW and lower GWE, respectively. MyW indices only correlated weakly with common echocardiographic parameters, suggesting that MyW may add incremental information to clinically established parameters. Further analyses from the STAAB cohort study contributed to a better understanding of the impact of CV risk factors on MyW indices and the association of LV geometry with LV performance. We demonstrated that CV risk factors impacted selectively on GCW and GWW. Hypertension appears to profoundly compromise the work of the myocardium, in particular, by increasing both GCW and GWW. The LV in hypertension seems to operate at a higher energy level yet lower efficiency. Other classical CV risk factors (Diabetes mellitus, Obesity, Dyslipidemia, Smoking) - independent of blood pressure - impacted consistently and adversely on GCW but did not affect GWW. Further, all CV risk factors affected GWE adversely. We observed that any deviation from a normal LV geometric profile was associated with alterations on MyW. Of note, MyW was sensitive to early changes in LV mass and dimensions. Individuals with normal LV geometry yet established arterial hypertension exhibited a MyW pattern that is typically found in LV hypertrophy. Therefore, such a pattern might serve as an early sign of myocardial damage in hypertensive heart disease and might aid in risk stratification and primary prevention. From the AHF Registry, we selected individuals with serial in-hospital echocardiograms and described in-hospital changes in myocardial performance during recompensation. In patients presenting with a reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), decreasing N-terminal pro-natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels as a surrogate of successful recompensation were associated with an improvement in GCW and GWI and consecutively in GWE. In contrast, in patients presenting with a preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), there was no significant change in GCW and GWI. However, unsuccessful recompensation, i.e., no change or an increase in NT-proBNP levels, was associated with an increase in GWW. This suggests a differential myocardial response to de- and recompensation depending on the HF phenotype. Further, GWW as a surrogate of inappropriate LV energy consumption was elevated in all patients with AHF (compared to reference values) and was not associated with conventional markers as LVEF or NT-proBNP. In an exploratory analysis, GWW predicted the risk of death or rehospitalization within six months after discharge. Hence, GWW might carry incremental information beyond conventional markers of HF severity.},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Fleischer2023,
  author    = {Fleischer, Anna},
  title     = {Durchf{\"u}hrbarkeit und diagnostische Genauigkeit der tragbaren Echokardiographie am Krankenbett von Patienten und Patientinnen mit isch{\"a}mischem Schlaganfall auf Stroke Unit - eine Pilotstudie},
  doi       = {10.25972/OPUS-29654},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-296547},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2023},
  abstract  = {Beinahe jeder dritte isch{\"a}mische Schlaganfall ist urs{\"a}chlich auf Erkrankungen des Herzens zur{\"u}ckzuf{\"u}hren. Daher empfehlen Leitlinien allen Patienten und Patientinnen, bei denen eine kardioembolische {\"A}tiologie des Schlaganfalls vermutet wird und bei denen ein Vorhofflimmern nicht bereits bekannt ist, als Teil der Routinediagnostik eine echokardiographische Untersuchung, um Hinweise auf die {\"A}tiologie des isch{\"a}mischen Schlaganfalls zu gewinnen und um gegebenenfalls Maßnahmen zur Sekund{\"a}rpr{\"a}vention einleiten zu k{\"o}nnen. Jedoch ist der Zugang zu solchen echokardiographischen Untersuchungen oftmals limitiert, besonders f{\"u}r Patienten und Patientinnen auf Stroke Units, denn dort {\"u}berschreitet die Nachfrage h{\"a}ufig die verf{\"u}gbaren personellen und instrumentellen Kapazit{\"a}ten. Zudem stellt der Transport bettl{\"a}geriger Patienten und Patientinnen in andere Abteilungen eine Belastung dar. Daher stellt sich die Frage, ob zuk{\"u}nftig im Rahmen wissenschaftlicher Studien POC-Echokardiographie-Ger{\"a}te zur Diagnostik bestimmter Herzerkrankungen einschließlich einer systolischen Dysfunktion bei Patienten und Patientinnen mit isch{\"a}mischem Schlaganfall eingesetzt werden k{\"o}nnen, mit dem Ziel Patienten und Patientinnen zu identifizieren, die von einer erweiterten echokardiographischen Untersuchung profitieren k{\"o}nnten. Im Rahmen der vorliegenden prospektiven Validierungsstudie untersuchte eine Studentin 78 Patienten und Patientinnen mit akutem isch{\"a}mischem Schlaganfall mithilfe eines POC-Echokardiographie-Ger{\"a}ts auf der Stroke Unit der Neurologischen Abteilung des Universit{\"a}tsklinikums W{\"u}rzburg. Im Anschluss daran erhielten alle 78 Patienten und Patientinnen eine Kontrolluntersuchung durch eine erfahrene Echokardiographie-Raterin mithilfe eines SE-Ger{\"a}ts in einem externen Herzzentrum. Die diagnostischen Qualit{\"a}ten des POC-Echokardiographie-Ger{\"a}ts f{\"u}r Forschungszwecke zur fokussierten kardialen Diagnostik nach isch{\"a}mischem Schlaganfall im Vergleich zu einer SE-Untersuchung konnten mithilfe der Validierungsstudie best{\"a}tigt werden. Es zeigte sich insbesondere, dass die POC-Echokardiographie f{\"u}r die Detektion einer LVEF≤55\% mit einer Sensitivit{\"a}t von 100\% geeignet war. Um zu evaluieren, ob sich das POC-Echokardiographie-Ger{\"a}t in Zukunft auch in der klinischen Praxis als Screeninginstrument eignet, mit dem Ziel eine individuelle Behandlung von Schlaganfallpatienten und -patientinnen zu gew{\"a}hrleisten, m{\"u}ssen gr{\"o}ßere, prospektive Studien durchgef{\"u}hrt werden, in denen die Fallzahl f{\"u}r bestimmte kardiologische Erkrankungen ausreichend hoch ist.},
  subject      = {Schlaganfall},
  language  = {de}
}