Arq. Bras. Cardiol. 2025; 122(6): e20250265
The ELSA-Brasil Study and Our Myocardial Deformation
This Short Editorial is referred by the Research article "Left and Right Ventricular Strain in an Adult Brazilian Population from ELSA-Brasil Study: Reference Values and their Determinants".
The analysis of myocardial deformation (strain) using speckle tracking technology in echocardiography is no longer something new and innovative. Several years have passed since its validation. Compared to left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction, global longitudinal strain (GLS) is a more accurate assessment of systolic function, important in several situations, such as cardio-oncology, valvular heart disease, cardiomyopathies, and ischemic heart disease. It is more accurate and reproducible data, is closely correlated with prognosis, and is currently available in most echocardiogram machines. On the other hand, this analysis requires an adequate acoustic window, and the issue of inter-vendor variability must still be taken into account.
A highly significant step that brought the analysis of myocardial deformation to our Brazilian reality was taken in 2023 with the publication of the “Position Statement on the Use of Myocardial Strain in Cardiology Routines by the Brazilian Society of Cardiology’s Department Of Cardiovascular Imaging – 2023” in the Arquivos Brasileiros de Cardiologia journal. Several experts joined in the production of this important document that increased cardiologists’ knowledge about GLS. Published in the current issue of the Arquivos Brasileiros de Cardiologia, another step was taken through the ELSA-Brasil study. ELSA-Brasil is a broad epidemiological study with more than 15,000 public servants from universities and research institutions on cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, carried out in 6 Brazilian cities (São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte, Vitória, Salvador, and Porto Alegre), with several publications in the literature. This time, the focus was on determining normal values for LVGLS and right ventricular free wall longitudinal strain (RVFWLS), that is, an investigation of myocardial deformation in our population.
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Keywords: Echocardiography; Longitudinal Studies; Ventricular Function
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