Echocardiographic Normal Reference of Left Ventricular Contractile Reserve During Treadmill Exercise Stress Echocardiography in Healthy Chinese Adults – New Non-Sex-Specific Parameter for Left Ventricular Contractile Reserve Evaluation

PURPOSE: Left ventricular (LV) contractile reserve is commonly used for LV systolic function assessment, while data on normal LV contractile reserve to exercise and the effect of gender on it are contradictory and limited, especially in Chinese adults. The aims of the present study are to clarify echocardiographic normal reference of LV contractile reserve during treadmill exercise stress echocardiography in healthy Chinese adults and to evaluate the sex-specific impact on it. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study population consisted of 157 healthy Chinese adults. All subjects underwent comprehensive echocardiographic assessment at rest and immediately after a symptom-limited treadmill stress test. The impact of gender on LV contractile reserve was analyzed. RESULTS: The study population consisted of 157 healthy Chinese adults. All subjects underwent comprehensive echocardiographic assessment at rest and immediately after a symptom-limited treadmill stress test. The impact of gender on LV contractile reserve was analyzed. CONCLUSION: Traditional LV contractile reserve of men was much higher than that of women in a healthy Chinese population. The difference might be because of higher BSA in men. ΔGLS was less influenced by METs and CI at rest compared to ΔEF. ΔGLS, and especially the ΔGLS index, might be considered as a more preferable contractile reserve parameter for clinical cardiac function evaluation.