Introduction:

Cardiovascular diseases are the top cause of death in Cuba as well as in most developed countries. Two-dimensional speckle-tracking (2D-ST) echocardiography is a recent technique in the evaluation of cardiac function.

Objective:

To determine the relationship between global circumferential strain (GCS) measured through 2D-ST echocardiography and the state of coronary circulation in patients with ischemic heart disease.

Method:

An analytical, cross-sectional study was carried out on 55 patients with indication of coronary angiography, who underwent echocardiography to measure the GCS through 2D-ST at the Centro de Investigaciones Medico Quirúrgicas (CIMEQ, Havana, Cuba), during one year. Two groups were created: with significant coronary artery disease (SCAD = 32) and non-significant coronary artery disease (NSCAD = 23). The statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) was used to analyze the results.

Results:

Mean age was higher in the SCAD group (55.6 ± 9.3 vs. 61.8± 8.8, p=0.014). Men with SCAD (47.3%), patients with high blood pressure (SCAD = 90.6% and NSCAD = 65.2%, p = 0.02) and smokers (SCAD = 59.4% and NSCAD = 17.4%, p = 0.002) predominated. The most frequent diagnosis was chronic stable angina (87%). Three-vessel disease predominated in the SCAD group (75%). The GCS was lower in the SCAD group [(-19.5.0 ± 3.8 vs. -25.2 ± 5.7, p = 0.033); area under the curve = 0.208]. There were no differences in GCS according to the number of significantly diseased vessels.

Conclusions:

The results found do not justify the use of GCS through 2D-ST echocardiography to discriminate the presence or nor of SCAD.

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