Thursday, December 3 | 8:00 a.m.-8:10 a.m. | R1-SSCA09-1 | Room E353C
Researchers have found that individuals with chronic high-altitude disease show significantly increased right ventricular volumes and reduced right ventricular ejection fraction.
MRI reveals how the hearts of patients with chronic high-altitude disease (CHAD) show particular manifestations of the disease, according to a presentation to be delivered Thursday morning.
Presenter Xingyan Lu, PhD, of Children's National Hospital in Washington, D.C., shared findings from a study that explored whether there are specific indicators of CHAD in individuals with the condition compared to those living at sea level. The research included 170 participants, 59 of which were CHAD patients, 54 of which were high-altitude healthy controls, and 57 of which were sea-level healthy controls. All patients underwent a 3-tesla cardiac MRI exam.
Lu's group found that, compared to healthy controls, individuals with CHAD had significantly increased RV volumes and reduced right ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF), "with globally impaired RA phasic strains and deteriorated atrioventricular coupling" -- results that can help better identify the disease.
"Chronic hypoxia and RV radial myocardial remodeling constitute a unique pathophysiological mechanism of RA dysfunction and impaired atrioventricular coupling in CHAD," the team concluded.
