Sex differences in circumferential and longitudinal strain assessed using strain encoded cardiac magnetic resonance at 3.0T

Background: Displacement encoding with stimulated echoes (DENSE) encodes myocardial tissue displacement into the phase of the MRI image, thus allowing direct quantification of myocardial displacement at multiple cardiac phases. Strain-encoded CMR with DENSE has high spatial (3.2 mm 3.2 mm 8 mm) and temporal resolution (TR= 27.34 ms). We aimed to measure myocardial strain values with DENSE in healthy adults across a broad age range at 3.0 Tesla. Methods: Healthy volunteers with no prior medical history or treatment were enrolled and underwent CMR at 3.0T (Magnetom Verio, Siemens healthcare, Erlangen, Germany). Mid-left ventricular short axis and horizontal long axis DENSE sequences were acquired and analysed using CIM_DENSE2D software (University of Auckland, New Zealand and Siemens Healthcare). Segmental and global myocardial circumferential (Ecc) and longitudinal (Ell) strain were obtained. Results: Ecc and Ell were analysed in 77 volunteers (mean age 45 plus or minus 18 years, 49% male) (Table 1). Mean Ecc strain was greater in women than in men. These sex-differences were mainly related to strain values in the anterior and antero-lateral LV segments. There is no difference for Ell.