Comparison between myocardial function assessed by echocardiography during hospitalization for COVID-19 and at 4 months follow-up

van den Heuvel, F. M. A.; Vos, J. L.; van Bakel, B.; Duijnhouwer, A. L.; van Dijk, A. P. J.; Dimitriu-Leen, A. C.; Koopmans, P. C.; de Mast, Q.; van de Veerdonk, F. L.; Bosch, F. H.; van den Borst, B.; Eijsvogels, T. M. H.; van Kimmenade, R. R. J.; Nijveldt, R.

In patients hospitalized for corona virus infectious disease 19 (COVID-19) it is currently unknown whether myocardial function changes after recovery and whether this is related to elevated cardiac biomarkers. In this single center, prospective cohort study we consecutively enrolled hospitalized COVID-19 patients between 1 April and 12 May 2020. All patients underwent transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) evaluation during hospitalization and at a median of 131 days (IQR; 116–136) follow-up. Of the 51 patients included at baseline, 40 (age: 62 years (IQR; 54–68), 78% male) were available for follow-up TTE. At baseline, 68% of the patients had a normal TTE, regarding left ventricular (LV) and right ventricular (RV) volumes and function, compared to 83% at follow-up (p = 0.07). Median LV ejection fraction (60% vs. 58%, p = 0.54) and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (23 vs 22 mm, p = 0.18) were comparable between hospitalization and follow-up, but a significantly lower RV diameter (39 vs. 34 mm, p = 0.002) and trend towards better global longitudinal strain (GLS) (− 18.5% vs − 19.1%, p = 0.07) was found at follow-up. Subgroup analysis showed no relation between patients with and without elevated TroponinT and/or NT-proBNP during hospitalization and myocardial function at follow-up. Although there were no significant differences in individual myocardial function parameters at 4 months follow-up compared to hospitalisation for COVID-19, there was an overall trend towards normalization in myocardial function, predominantly due to a higher rate of normal GLS at follow-up. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10554-021-02346-5.