Myocardial Work in Patients Hospitalized With COVID-19: Relation to Biomarkers, COVID-19 Severity, and All-Cause Mortality

J Am Heart Assoc. 2022 Oct 4;11(19):e026571. doi: 10.1161/JAHA.122.026571. Epub 2022 Sep 21.

Abstract

Background COVID-19 infection has been hypothesized to affect left ventricular function; however, the underlying mechanisms and the association to clinical outcome are not understood. The global work index (GWI) is a novel echocardiographic measure of systolic function that may offer insights on cardiac dysfunction in COVID-19. We hypothesized that GWI was associated with disease severity and all-cause death in patients with COVID-19. Methods and Results In a multicenter study of patients admitted with COVID-19 (n=305), 249 underwent pressure-strain loop analyses to quantify GWI at a median time of 4 days after admission. We examined the association of GWI to cardiac biomarkers (troponin and NT-proBNP [N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide]), disease severity (oxygen requirement and CRP [C-reactive protein]), and all-cause death. Patients with elevated troponin (n=71) exhibited significantly reduced GWI (1508 versus 1707 mm Hg%; P=0.018). A curvilinear association to NT-proBNP was observed, with increasing NT-proBNP once GWI decreased below 1446 mm Hg%. Moreover, GWI was significantly associated with a higher oxygen requirement (relative increase of 6% per 100-mm Hg% decrease). No association was observed with CRP. Of the 249 patients, 37 died during follow-up (median, 58 days). In multivariable Cox regression, GWI was associated with all-cause death (hazard ratio, 1.08 [95% CI, 1.01-1.15], per 100-mm Hg% decrease), but did not increase C-statistics when added to clinical parameters. Conclusions In patients admitted with COVID-19, our findings indicate that NT-proBNP and troponin may be associated with lower GWI, whereas CRP is not. GWI was independently associated with all-cause death, but did not provide prognostic information beyond readily available clinical parameters. Registration URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT04377035.

Keywords: COVID; corona; myocardial work; pressure‐strain.

Publication types

  • Multicenter Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Biomarkers
  • C-Reactive Protein / metabolism
  • COVID-19*
  • Humans
  • Natriuretic Peptide, Brain*
  • Oxygen
  • Peptide Fragments
  • Prognosis
  • Troponin

Substances

  • Biomarkers
  • Peptide Fragments
  • Troponin
  • Natriuretic Peptide, Brain
  • C-Reactive Protein
  • Oxygen

Associated data

  • ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT04377035