Prospective Analysis Of Cardiac Function In Cirrhotic Patients By Echocardiography And Its Correlation With Events

The cardiac abnormalities in patients with cirrhosis are already reported from the 50's, in studies of patients with alcoholic cirrhosis. Further studies have shown that these cardiac changes were caused not only by the myotoxic effects of alcohol, but also are present in many patients regardless of etiology of cirrhosis.

These changes are characterized by abnormalities of systolic contraction in patients undergoing physical or pharmacological stress, changes in diastolic function and electrophysiological changes in a clinical condition known as cirrhotic cardiomyopathy. Increased QT interval and the pre-ejection time changes are common in cirrhotic patients.

To date no studies have evaluated the clinical relevance of changes in the heart of cirrhotic patients, or their relationship with the prognosis of affected patients. Til now, researches are based on strict echocardiographic parameters, not including several modern methods of assessment of cardiac systole and diastole. New techniques, such as two-dimensional strain, can bring new diagnostic and prognostic information, and it is not reported in the literature. Therefore, the aim of this study is to determine the morphological and functional cardiac changes in patients with cirrhosis and their prognostic role by evaluating new echocardiographic parameters of systolic and diastolic readings.