Normal myocardial strain values using 2D speckle tracking echocardiography in healthy adults aged 20 to 72 years

Aims Evaluation of left ventricular (LV) myocardial deformation by speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) is useful for clinical and research purposes. However, strain measurements depend on the used software. Normative data for QLAB 10 (Philips) are scarce. Additionally, little is known about the influence of anthropometric factors. We aimed to establish normal adult STE‐derived strain and strain rate values and to evaluate associations with anthropometrics. Methods One hundred fifty‐five healthy subjects aged 20 to 72 years (≥28 subjects per decile) were prospectively gathered and examined with electrocardiography and two‐dimensional echocardiography. With STE, we assessed peak systolic LV global longitudinal strain (GLS), segmental longitudinal strain, and strain rate from the three standard apical views. Results We included 147 healthy subjects (age 44.6±13.7 years, 50% female, GLS −20.8±2.0%). Men had significantly lower GLS than women (−20.1±1.8% vs −21.5±2.0%, P