Determinants and prognostic implications of left ventricular mechanical dispersion in aortic stenosis

AIMS: The present study aimed at investigating the association between left ventricular (LV) mechanical dispersion measured with speckle tracking echocardiography and severity of aortic stenosis (AS) and its impact on prognosis. METHODS AND RESULTS: This retrospective study included 630 patients [age 72 (62–78) years, 61.4% men] with various grades of AS (mild AS, 19.8%; moderate AS, 37.0%; severe AS, 43.2%). LV mechanical dispersion (defined as standard deviation of time from Q/R on electrocardiogram to peak longitudinal strain in 17 LV segments) was assessed by speckle tracking echocardiography. Clinical, electrocardiographic, and echocardiographic determinants of increased LV mechanical dispersion were evaluated. During a follow-up of 107 (43–133) months, the independent association between LV mechanical dispersion and all-cause mortality (n = 302, 48%) was evaluated including aortic valve replacement as time-dependent co-variate. LV mechanical dispersion increased significantly with increasing severity of AS (mild AS, 54.5 ± 17.2 ms; moderate AS, 56.7 ± 19.3 ms; severe AS, 70.9 ± 24.3 ms; P < 0.001). Independent determinants of increased mechanical dispersion included older age (β = 0.28; P = 0.003), lower LV ejection fraction (β = −0.24; P = 0.020), smaller aortic valve area (β = −8.55; P = 0.001), larger LV mass index (β = 0.20; P < 0.001), and longer QRS duration (β = 1.12 per each 10 ms increase; P = 0.012). LV mechanical dispersion showed incremental prognostic value for all-cause mortality (hazard ratio 1.10 per each 10 ms increase, 95% confidence interval 1.04–1.15; P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: LV mechanical dispersion assessed by speckle tracking echocardiography increases significantly with severity of AS and is significantly associated with all-cause mortality.