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Myocardial work shows subclinical dysfunction in pregnant women with autoimmune disease

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A healthcare professional wearing a black shirt and white protective mask stands next to a modern ultrasound machine with a dark monitor mounted above it in a clinical room with beige walls.
Research area:MedicineCardiology and Cardiovascular MedicineCardiovascular Function and Risk Factors

What the study found

The study found that left ventricular myocardial work, especially apical constructive work, showed changes in pregnant women with autoimmune disease. The authors report that this pattern was consistent with subclinical left ventricular dysfunction.

Why the authors say this matters

The authors conclude that myocardial work may add information beyond global longitudinal strain, which is a measure of how much the left ventricle shortens during contraction. They suggest that apical constructive work may be especially useful in autoimmune pregnancies.

What the researchers tested

The researchers studied 96 participants from a single hospital: 33 pregnant women with autoimmune disease, 26 non-pregnant patients with autoimmune disease, and 37 healthy pregnant women. They collected clinical data and cardiac measurements using conventional echocardiography, two-dimensional speckle-tracking, and left ventricular pressure-strain loop analysis, then compared groups and examined correlations.

What worked and what didn't

After adjustment, the pregnant autoimmune group had increased left ventricular volume and lower apical constructive work than the non-pregnant autoimmune group, while global myocardial work indices were similar. Compared with healthy pregnant women, the pregnant autoimmune group had lower E/A, increased left ventricular volumes, higher E/e', and higher peak strain dispersion; after adjustment, global work index, global constructive work, global work efficiency, and apical constructive work were reduced, while peak strain dispersion remained higher.

What to keep in mind

The abstract does not describe follow-up, treatment effects, or clinical outcomes beyond the imaging measurements. It also does not provide detailed limitations, and the study was conducted at one hospital with a relatively small sample.

Key points

  • Left ventricular myocardial work detected subclinical left ventricular dysfunction in pregnant women with autoimmune disease.
  • Apical constructive work was consistently reduced in the pregnant autoimmune group.
  • Compared with healthy pregnant women, the autoimmune pregnancy group showed worse diastolic-related echocardiographic measures and higher peak strain dispersion.
  • After adjustment, global work index, global constructive work, and global work efficiency were lower in pregnant women with autoimmune disease.

Disclosure

Research title:
Myocardial work shows subclinical dysfunction in pregnant women with autoimmune disease
Authors:
Lu Zhang, Yilu Shi, Yaxi Wang, Xiaoshan Zhang, Shasha Duan
Institutions:
Inner Mongolia Medical University, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Second Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University, Second Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University, Second Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University, Second Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University, Second Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University
Publication date:
2026-03-06
DOI:
10.3389/fcvm.2026.1691607
OpenAlex record:
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AI provenance: This post was generated by gpt-5.4-mini (OpenAI). The original authors did not write or review this post.