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Background: Understanding the impact of aortic regurgitation (AR) on hypertensive patients' hearts is important. Purpose: To assess left ventricular (LV) strain and structure in hypertensive patients and investigate the relationship with AR severity. Study Type: Retrospective. Population: 263 hypertensive patients (99 with AR) and 62 controls, with cardiac MRI data. Field Strength/Sequence: Balanced steady‐state free precession (bSSFP) sequence at 3.0T. Assessment: AR was classified as mild, moderate, or severe based on echocardiographic findings. LV geometry was classified as normal, concentric remodeling, eccentric hypertrophy, or concentric hypertrophy based on MRI assessment of LV mass/volume ratio and LV Mass index (LVMI). LV global radial peak strain (GRPS), global circumferential peak strain (GCPS), and global longitudinal peak strain (GLPS) were obtained by post‐processing bSSFP cine datasets using commercial software. Statistical Tests: ANOVA, Kruskal–Wallis test, Spearman's correlation coefficients (r), chi‐square test, and multivariable linear regression analysis. A P value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Hypertensive patients with AR had significantly lower LV myocardial strain and higher LVMI than the group without AR (GRPS 26.25 ± 12.23 vs. 34.53 ± 9.85, GCPS −17.4 ± 5.84 vs. −20.57 ± 3.57, GLPS −9.86 ± 4.08 vs. −12.95 ± 2.94, LVMI 90.56 ± 38.56 vs.58.84 ± 17.55). Of the 99 patients with AR, 56 had mild AR, 26 had moderate AR and 17 had severe AR. The degree of AR was significantly negatively correlated to the absolute values of LV GRPS, GCPS and GLPS (r = −0.284 – −0.416). LV eccentric hypertrophy increased significantly with AR severity (no AR 21.3%, mild AR 42.9%, moderate AR 73.1%, severe AR 82.4%). In multivariable analysis, the degree of AR was an independent factor affecting LV global strain and LVMI even after considering confounding factors (β values for global myocardial strain were −0.431 to −0.484, for LVMI was 0.646). Data Conclusion: Increasing AR severity leads to decreased cardiac function and worse ventricular geometric phenotypes in hypertensive patients. Level of Evidence: 4 Technical Efficacy: Stage 3 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The alteration of left atrial (LA) phasic function in subacute and chronic pulmonary embolism (PE) patients is unclear., Purpose: To investigate LA phasic strain and LA-right ventricular (RV) interaction in subacute and chronic PE patients with different degrees of obstruction by MRI-feature tracking (MRI-FT)., Study Type: Retrospective., Population: One hundred three PE patients (54 subacute [2 weeks to 3 months after initial symptoms], 49 chronic [>3 months after initial symptoms]) and 80 controls., Field Strength/sequence: 3.0 T/balanced steady state free precession sequence., Assessment: Patients were divided into mild (pulmonary artery obstruction index [PAOI] < 30%, N = 57), moderate (30% ≤ PAOI < 50%, N = 27), and severe (50% ≥ PAOI, N = 19) PE subgroups. LA reservoir, conduit, and active pump longitudinal strains (εs, εe, and εa) and strain rates (SRs, SRe, and SRa) and biventricular global strains were measured. Determinants of LA strains were investigated., Statistical Tests: ANOVA, t-tests, Mann-Whitney U tests, linear regression. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant., Results: For both subacute and chronic PE patients, LA reservoir, conduit, and active pump strains and strain rates were significantly lower than in controls. However, there were no significant differences in LA strains between patients with subacute and chronic PE (P = 0.933, 0.625, and 0.630 for εs, εe, and εa). The severe PE subgroup had significantly higher εa and SRa than the mild and moderate PE subgroups. LA strains were significantly correlated with RV diameter and biventricular strains, and RV diameter (β = -6.836, -4.084, and -1.899 for εs, εe, and εa) was independently associated with LA strains after adjustment for other factors (R 2  = 0.627, 0.536, and 0.437 for εs, εe, and εa)., Data Conclusion: LA phasic function evaluated by MRI-FT was significantly impaired in subacute and chronic PE patients, and LA active pump function in the severe PE subgroup was higher than that in the mild and moderate PE subgroups. The independent association between RV diameter and LA strains demonstrates that RV diameter may be an important indicator for monitoring LA dysfunction in PE patients., Evidence Level: 3 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 3., (© 2024 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.)

Background: Hypertension (HTN) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are both associated with left ventricular (LV) and left atrial (LA) structural and functional abnormalities; however, the relationship between the left atrium and ventricle in this population is unclear., Purpose: To identify differences between hypertensive patients with and without T2DM as the basis for further investigation the atrioventricular coupling relationship., Study Type: Cross-sectional, retrospective study., Population: 89 hypertensive patients without T2DM [HTN (T2DM-)] (age: 58.4 +/- 11.9 years, 48 male), 62 hypertensive patients with T2DM [HTN (T2DM+)] (age: 58.5 +/- 9.1 years, 32 male) and 70 matched controls (age: 55.0 +/- 9.6 years, 37 male)., Field Strength/sequence: 2D balanced steady-state free precession cine sequence at 3.0 T., Assessment: LA reservoir, conduit, and booster strain (ε s , ε e , and ε a ) and strain rate (SRs, SRe, and SRa), LV radial, circumferential and longitudinal peak strain (PS) and peak systolic strain rate and peak diastolic strain rate (PSSR and PDSR) were derived from LA and LV cine images and compared between groups., Statistical Tests: Chi-square or Fisher's exact test, one-way analysis of variance, analysis of covariance, Pearson's correlation, multivariable linear regression analysis, and intraclass correlation coefficient. A P value <0.05 was considered significant., Results: Compared with controls, ε s , ε e , SRe and PS-longitudinal, PDSR-radial, and PDSR-longitudinal were significantly lower in HTN (T2DM-) group, and they were even lower in HTN (T2DM+) group than in both controls and HTN (T2DM-) group. SRs, ε a , SRa, as well as PS-radial, PS-circumferential, PSSR-radial, and PSSR-circumferential were significantly lower in HTN (T2DM+) compared with controls. Multivariable regression analyses demonstrated that: T2DM and PS-circumferential and PS-longitudinal (β = -4.026, -0.486, and -0.670, respectively) were significantly associated with ε s ; T2DM and PDSR-radial and PDSR-circumferential were significantly associated with ε e (β = -3.406, -3.352, and -6.290, respectively); T2DM and PDSR-radial were significantly associated with SRe (β = 0.371 and 0.270, respectively); T2DM and PDSR-longitudinal were significantly associated with ε a (β = -1.831 and 5.215, respectively); and PDSR-longitudinal was significantly associated with SR a (β = 1.07)., Data Conclusion: In hypertensive patients, there was severer LA dysfunction in those with coexisting T2DM, which may be associated with more severe LV dysfunction and suggests adverse atrioventricular coupling., Evidence Level: 3., Technical Efficacy: Stage 3., (© 2024 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.)

Background: Alcoholic cardiomyopathy (ACM) can lead to progressive cardiac dysfunction and heart failure, but little is known about biventricular impairment and ventricular interdependence (VI) in ACM patients., Purpose: To use cardiac MRI to investigate biventricular impairment and VI in ACM patients., Study Type: Retrospective., Population: Forty-one male patients with ACM and 45 sex- and age-matched controls., Field Strength/sequence: 3.0 T/balanced steady-state free precession sequence, inversion recovery prepared echo-planar imaging sequence and phase-sensitive inversion recovery sequence., Assessment: Biventricular structure, function, and global strain (encompassing peak strain [PS], peak systolic, and diastolic strain rate), PS of interventricular septal (IVS), microvascular perfusion (including upslope and time to maximum signal intensity [TTM]), late gadolinium enhancement (LGE), and baseline characteristics were compared between the controls and ACM patients., Statistical Tests: Student's t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, Pearson's correlation, and multivariable linear regression models with a stepwise selection procedure. A two-tailed P value <0.05 was deemed as statistically significant., Results: Compared to control subjects, ACM patients showed significantly biventricular adverse remodeling, reduced left ventricle (LV) global upslope and prolonged global TTM, and the presence of LGE. ACM patients were characterized by a significant decline in all global strain within the LV, right ventricle (RV), and IVS compared with the controls. RV global PS was significantly associated with LV global PS and IVS PS in radial, circumferential, and longitudinal directions. Multivariable analyses demonstrated the longitudinal PS of IVS was significantly correlated with RV global radial PS (β = 0.614) and circumferential PS (β = 0.545). Additionally, RV global longitudinal PS (GLPS) was significantly associated with radial PS of IVS (β = -0.631) and LV GLPS (β = 1.096)., Data Conclusion: ACM patients exhibited biventricular adverse structural alterations and impaired systolic and diastolic function. This cohort also showed reduced LV microvascular perfusion, the presence of LGE, and unfavorable VI., Evidence Level: 3 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 3., (© 2024 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.)

Background: Patients with restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM) have impaired diastolic filling and hemodynamic congestion. Pulmonary transit time (PTT) and pulmonary blood volume index (PBVi) reflect the hemodynamic status, but the relationship with left ventricle (LV) dysfunction remains unclear., Purpose: To evaluate the PTT and PBVi in RCM patients, the association with diastolic dysfunction and LV deformation, and the effects on the occurrence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) in RCM patients., Study Type: Retrospective., Population: 137 RCM patients (88 men, age 58.80 ± 10.83 years) and 68 age- and sex-matched controls (46 men, age 57.00 ± 8.59 years)., Field Strength/sequence: 3.0T/Balanced steady-state free precession sequence, recovery prepared echo-planar imaging sequence, and phase-sensitive inversion recovery sequence., Assessment: The LV function and peak strain (PS) parameters were measured. The PTT was calculated and corrected by heart rate (PTTc). The PBVi was calculated as the product of PTTc and RV stroke volume index., Statistical Tests: Chi-squared test, student's t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, Pearson's or Spearman's correlation, multivariate linear regression, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, and Cox regression models analysis. A P-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant., Results: The PTTc showed a significant correlation with the E/A ratio (r = 0.282), and PBVi showed a significant correlation with the E/e' ratio, E/A ratio, and diastolic dysfunction stage (r = 0.222, 0.320, and 0.270). PTTc showed an independent association with LVEF, LV circumferential PS, and LV longitudinal PS (β = 0.472, 0.299, and 0.328). In Kaplan-Meier analysis, higher PTTc and PBVi were significantly associated with MACE. In multivariable Cox regression analysis, PTTc was a significantly independent predictor of the MACE in combination with both cardiac MRI functional and tissue parameters (hazard ratio: 1.23/1.32, 95% confidence interval: 1.10-1.42/1.20-1.46)., Data Conclusion: PTTc and PBVi are associated with diastolic dysfunction and deteriorated LV deformation, and PTTc independently predicts MACE in patients with RCM., Level of Evidence: 3 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 2., (© 2024 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.)