Assessment of left atrial function in ischemic patients before and after cardiac rehabilitation using speckle tracking

Abstract

Our study aimed to evaluate left atrial function in ischemic patients before and after cardiac rehabilitation using speckle tracking echocardiography. This study was a prospective interventional study conducted in Egypt at the cardiac rehabilitation (CR) center of the cardiology department, Ain Shams University hospital between December 2019 and December 2020. The study included 60 adult patients from 18 to 80 years of both genders maintained on optimal medical therapy and presented with ischemic heart disease who were assigned to a three-month exercise training program, and followed up there after for three months. These patients were more than two weeks post MI who were followed up for three months. The patients underwent modified Bruce treadmill exercise protocol before and after the CR program. The procedure was described to the patients and informed written consent was taken. All patients had a full history and thorough physical examination, patients undergone exercise test to calculate MHR, RHR, HRR and MET. In the present study, there was highly significant improvement in resting HR which decreased significantly also HR reserve and METs were improved significantly with CR. However, there was no statistically significant improvement in maximum HR before and after the rehabilitation program. We found significant increase in EF after CR program. We also found significant improvement in regional wall motion represented by WMSI, LVEDD, LVESD LVEDV, LVESV and diastolic function . There was no statistically significant improvement in left ventricular wall thickness, degree of MR, TR and AR before and after the rehabilitation program.