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Najmieh Saadati , Sara Masihi , Narges Abouali^*✉ , Nehzat Akiash , Razieh Mohammad Jafari , Yasaman Tahmasebi

1. Fertility, Infertility and Perinatology Research Center, Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
2. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
3. Department of Cardiology, School of Medicine, Atherosclerosis Research Center, Imam Khomeini Hospital, Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
4. Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.

Abstract

A higher chance of maternal cardiovascular disease in later life is linked to pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia and foetal growth restriction. Before significant cardiovascular illness manifests itself, subclinical cardiac abnormalities are discernible. An elegant way to evaluate subclinical cardiac dysfunction is to use strain measurement in conjunction with speckle-tracking echocardiography (STE). The current study sought to assess the subclinical cardiac dysfunction in mothers with preeclampsia and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) by measuring Global Longitudinal Strain (GLS) using the 2D STE technique). This cross-sectional research was done on pregnant individuals with preeclampsia (n=29), IUGR (n=26), or both (n=20) who were referred to the prenatal department of Imam Khomeini Hospital in Ahvaz between January 2021 and June 2022. Demographic and clinical characteristics of the patients were recorded and the patients underwent 2D STE to evaluate the cardiac function and measure GLS using 2D speckle tracking echocardiography. In the current research, seventy-five pregnant women having a mean age of 31.37 ± 6.69 years (range of 19 to 45 years) participated. The mean GLS was a significant difference between preeclampsia, IUGR, and Preeclampsia + IUGR groups (-19.97 ± 2.02 vs. -20.59 ± 1.90 vs. -18.56±0.57; P=0.001). There was no significant difference between the three groups regarding other echocardiography parameters (LVEF, LVEDD, LVESD, RVD, LAD, PWD, IWD, and PAP) (P > 0.05).  The current literature results revealed that Preeclampsia with or without IUGR may be related to subclinical myocardial LV dysfunction. Thus, accurate evaluation of cardiac function by STE echocardiography is recommended for proper management of possible cardiac dysfunction in preeclampsia. Long-term follow-up with a larger sample is required to evaluate the changes in GLS during and after pregnancy‎.

Keywords: Preeclampsia, IUGR, Speckle tracking echocardiography, Global longitudinal strain (GLS), LV function

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