ASSESSMENT OF AGE-RELATED CHANGES OF MYOCARDIAL CONTRACTILITY OF THE LEFT VENTRICULAR BY SPECKLE-TRACKING ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY AND DETERMINING THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH TELOMERE LENGTH

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this cross-sectional study was to explore a profile of left ventricular (LV) strain parameters in healthy older and to examine their association with telomere length - accepted marker of cellular senescence.Methods: Echocardiography and 2-D speckle tracking analysis was performed on 303 healthy volunteers aged 23 to 91 years without history of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). LV myocardial deformations were obtained using off-line analysis program QLAB (Philips). Telomere length was measured in peripheralblood mononuclear cells by a real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction method.Results: Global longitudinal LV strain was reduced in older people without CVD. Radial strain of LV, apical and basal rotation, LV systolic twist were increased (p0,001). There are no association with circulation LV strain. Telomere length was not associated with the longitudinal LV strain (β=-0.117, p=0.5). However, a significant relation was obtained with LV twist (β=-0.518, p=0.03). Short telomeres enhances the risk of increasing LV twist in 2 times (χ2=3,99, p=0,05; OR=1,96; 95% CI 1,01-3,79).Conclusion: Longitudinal strain decreases in older people. Radial strain and LV twist increases with aging. These changes indicate the age-related disorders of myocardial contractility and may be considered as a markers of biological age of heart. Increase in LV twist is significantly associates with telomere length, allowing use these parameters as markers of biological age. Cellular senescence has an independent contribution to the age-associated changes in the contractile function of the LV myocardium.

Keywords

• speckle-tracking echocardiography
• quantitative assessment of myocardial deformation
• heart aging
• cellular senescence
• telomere length