The importance of speckle tracking echocardiography in the early detection of left ventricular dysfunction in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is characterized by hormonal and metabolic abnormalities and is thought to increase a risk for cardiovascular diseases. In this study we use speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) to evaluate left ventricular (LV) dysfunction in the early period of the disease. We enrolled 31 patients with PCOS and 32 healthy volunteers as a control group. The participants’ ages ranged between 18 and 40 years. PCOS was diagnosed according to the Rotterdam criteria. LV strain (LS) and strain rate (SR) were evaluated using apical two-chamber (2C), three-chamber (3C), and four-chamber (4C) imaging. Global LS and SR were calculated as average of three apical views. The waist-to-hip ratio, homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and fasting insulin and triglyceride levels were higher in the PCOS group than in the controls (p = 0.001, p = 0.001, p = 0.001, and p = 0.005, respectively). In the PCOS group, the mitral A wave, deceleration time (DT), and isovolumetric relaxation time (IVRT) were significantly higher than in the controls (all p < 0.05). The LV global longitudinal strain (GLS) and global longitudinal SR systolic (GLSRS) were significantly lower in the PCOS patient group (both p = 0.001). There were strong negative correlations between GLS and both fasting insulin (r = −0.64) and DT (r =-0.62) (both p < 0.05). The study demonstrated that PCOS patients had decreased LV function using STE. Therefore, STE imaging appears to be useful for the early detection of subclinical LV dysfunction in patients with PCOS. © 2015 ABMSFBIH.