2D Speckle-tracking Echocardiography Parameters and Prognostic Performance of the Progression Among Patients with Stroke

Background: Stroke is the second leading cause of global mortality and the major contributor to morbidity. 2D speckle-tracking echocardiography (STE) is a sensitive method for evaluating myocardial function, but its parameters and prognostic value in stroke patients remain limited. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic performance of left atrial and left ventricular function through the correlation of STE and tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) parameters. Methods: We conducted a prospective case-control study on 67 ischemic stroke patients who met inclusion criteria and underwent clinical evaluations, 2D echocardiography, TDI, and STE. We employed multivariate and univariate analyses to assess relationships, the area under the curve (AUC) and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve to assess the prognostic performance of STE parameters. Results: In 67 stroke patients (55% men, 58 ± 10.1 years old) and 40 control patients (77.5% men, 43.75 ± 5.3 years old), correlation assessment regarding STE parameters, GLS and LAVmax in the two groups significantly declined from -18.6 ± 2.6 to -20.6 ± 1.3, 29.6 ± 8.5 to 24.6 ± 7.5, respectively. ROC curve analysis demonstrated high performance with AUC = 0.89, cut-off = 35.5%, sensitivity = 94.1% and specificity = 52%. Regarding multivariate logistic regression analysis, LAS indicated a significant relationship with severe stroke events (OR: 0.69, 95% CI 0.56 - 0.88, p = 0.001). Conclusion: The AUC of ROC showed STE parameters as a highly significant prognostic factor. After eliminating insignificant factors via a uni-multivariable logistic model, STE parameters remained a key factor in prognostic stroke progression.