Strain of ascending aorta on cardiac magnetic resonance in 1027 patients: Relation with age, gender, and cardiovascular disease

Objectives To evaluate ascending aortic strain (AAS) with cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) in a large consecutive series of patients with different types of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Methods Two-dimensional phase-contrast gradient-echo sequences of the ascending aorta were retrospectively reviewed in 1027 patients (726 males, 301 females). Aortic lumen area was segmented using a semi-automatic approach to calculate AAS values. Subgroup analysis was performed for patients with normal CMR, tetralogy of Fallot (ToF), and ischemic heart disease (IHD). Multivariate and post-hoc analyses were performed to evaluate the effect of age, gender, and CVD on AAS values. Shapiro-Wilk, three- and two-way ANOVA, Mann-Whitney U, and Spearman correlation statistics were used. Results Multivariate analysis showed significant differences in AAS among decades of age (p < 0.001), genders (p = 0.006) and CVD subgroups (p < 0.001) without interaction among these factors. A gender-related difference (higher AAS in females) was significant in ToF (p = 0.008), while an AAS reduction during aging was observed in all CVD subgroups. Post-hoc analysis showed a significantly lower AAS in ToF and IHD patients compared to subjects with normal CMR (p < 0.001). Conclusion Differences in age, gender, and CVD independently affect AAS. The lower AAS observed in ToF fosters its assessment during follow-up in adulthood. Future studies on causes and clinical implications of a higher AAS in females affected by ToF are warranted.