Objectives: Our study aimed at conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis, with the objective of evaluating the prognostic value of T1 mapping techniques via cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) patients. Materials and methods: The protocol was prospectively registered in the international prospective register of systematic reviews PROSPERO (registration number CRD42022300991). We searched PubMed, Google Scholar, and EMBASE for studies examining the prognostic value of characterizing myocardial tissue via CMR imaging with T1 mapping in HFpEF. Hazard ratios (HRs) for uniformly defined predictors were pooled for meta-analysis. Results: In total, 7 studies were retrieved from 351 publications for this systematic review and meta-analysis. A total of 1930 patients (mean age of 69.4 years, mean follow-up duration of 25.6 months) was included in the analysis. The meta-analysis demonstrated that higher extracellular volume (ECV) was associated with an increased risk of death and/or hospitalization with heart failure (HF) (HR:1.12; 95% CI: 1.06–1.18; p < 0.0001). After adjusting for baseline characteristics, the higher extent of ECV remained strongly associated with the risk of death and/or hospitalization with HF (HR_adjusted: 1.08; 95% CI: 1.04–1.13; p = 0.0001). However, no significant association of native T1 value with risk of death or adverse cardiovascular events was found (HR:1.01; 95% CI: 1.00–1.02; p = 0.21). Conclusion: Assessment of ECV via CMR has an important prognostic value for outcomes of death and/or hospitalization with HF, and can therefore be used as an effective tool for risk stratification of patients with HFpEF.

Aim. The present study aims to provide a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the prognostic role of assessing the severity of myocardial fibrosis using delayed contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging in nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathies.Material and methods. We searched PubMed, Google Scholar for studies that examined the predictive value of quantifying late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) areas in patients with nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy. Unadjusted hazard ratios (HR) from studies with similar scoring criteria were pooled for meta-analysis.Results. Nine studies were retrieved from 782 publications for this systematic review and meta-analysis. In total, 2389 patients (mean age, 51,9 years; mean follow-up, 39,3 months) were included in the analysis. Meta-analysis showed the extent of LGE was associated with an increased risk of arrhythmic end point (HR: 1,09/1% LGE; 95% CI: 1,02-1,18; p=0,01), major adverse cardiovascular events (HR: 1,07/1% LGE; 95% CI: 1,01-1,13; p=0,03) and all-cause mortality (HR: 1,09/1% LGE; 95% CI: 1,04-1,13; p<0,0001).Conclusion. The severity of LGE by cardiac magnetic resonance predicts arrhythmic events (ventricular arrhythmia and sudden death), major adverse cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality. Assessment of LGE can be used as an effective tool for stratifying risk in patients with nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy.

Aim. To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis in order to evaluate the prognostic value of left ventricular global longitudinal strain (LV GLS) and LV mechanical dispersion (LVMD) in ischemic and nonischemic cardiomyopathy.Material and methods. We searched PubMed, Google Scholar and Embase for studies on the prognostic value of LV GLS and LVMD in ischemic and nonischemic cardiomyopathy. Hazard ratios (HR) from included studies were pooled for metaanalysis.Results. Twelve studies were selected from 314 publications for this systematic review and meta-analysis. In total, 2624 patients (mean age, 57,3 years; mean follow-up, 40,8 months) were included in the analysis. Meta-analysis showed that decreased LV GLS was associated with an increased risk of ventricular arrhythmias (VAs) (adjusted HR: 1,10 per 1% of GLS; 95% CI: 1,01-1,19; p=0,03) and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE): adjusted HR: 1,22 per 1% of GLS; 95% CI: 1,11-1,33; p<0,0001). Patients with VAs had greater LVMD than those without it (weighted mean difference, 33,69 ms; 95% CI: -41,32 to -26,05; p<0,0001). Each 10 ms increment of LVMD was significantly and independently associated with VA episodes (adjusted HR: 1,18; 95% CI: 1,08-1,29; p=0,0002).Conclusions. LV GLS and LVMD assessed using speckle tracking provides important predictive value and can be used as an effective tool for stratifying risk in patients with ischemic and nonischemic cardiomyopathy.

Aim.To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the prognostic role of left atrial (LA) strain assessment using speckle-tracking echocardiography to predict postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) in patients undergoing coronary bypass grafting (CABG).Material and methods.We searched the PubMed (Medline) and Google Scholar databases for studies investigating LA strain measures obtained by speckle tracking echocardiography as predictors of POAF in patients after CABG. To determine the difference in the weighted average LA strain parameters, an analysis was made of the global LA strain, peak atrial longitudinal strain (PALS), left atrial conduit strain (LACS) and left atrial contractile strain (LACtS). Odds ratio (OR) values were received from multivariate models reporting association between PALS and POAF and described as pooled estimates with 95% confidence intervals (CI).Results.Twelve studies from 404 publications were selected for this systematic review and meta-analysis. A total of 1093 patients were included in the analysis, with a mean age of 60,5 years. A meta-analysis showed that patients with POAF had lower global LA strain than patients without POAF (difference in weighted values, 5,03%; 95% CI: -6,89 to -3,16; p<0,001). In addition, patients with POAF had lower PALS, LACS and LACtS; the difference in weighted values was 9,90% (95% CI: -12,95 to -6,85; p<0,001), 4,17% (95% CI: -6,05 to -2,29; p<0,001) and 6,1 7% (95% CI: -12,01 to -0,33; p=0,04), respectively. Moreover, in a pooled odds ratio (OR) analysis, PALS was found to be an independent predictor of POAF (OR: 0,88 for every 1% increase in PALS; 95% CI: 0,82–0,94; p<0,0001).Conclusion.Assessment of LA strain using speckle-tracking echocardiography provides important additional information for predicting POAF in patients undergoing isolated CABG.