Impact of hypertriglyceridemia on right ventricular deformation in patients with left ventricular myocardial infarction: a cardiac magnetic resonance imaging study

Background: Hypertriglyceridemia (HTG) is a significant risk factor for myocardial infarction (MI), adversely affecting left ventricular (LV) structure and function and worsening clinical outcomes. Given the interaction between ventricles, the right heart may also be affected by MI. This study investigated the additional effects of HTG on right ventricular (RV) deformation in patients with acute MI.

Methods: The study included 101 patients with MI [58 without HTG (HTG−) and 43 with HTG (HTG+)] and 83 control participants, all of whom underwent cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. The patients with MI were categorized into HTG+ and HTG− subgroups. RV and LV function and strain were assessed, and multivariate linear regression was performed to identify determinants of RV peak strain (PS).

Results: Compared with the HTG− group, the HTG+ group exhibited higher total cholesterol and troponin levels (P=0.002 and P=0.043, respectively), as well as significantly lower RV radial, circumferential, and longitudinal PS (all P<0.05 after Bonferroni correction). RV radial PS was inversely correlated with LV mass (r=–0.349, P=0.021), total cholesterol (r=–0.402, P=0.007), troponin (r=–0.584, P<0.001), and infarct size (r=–0.410, P=0.006). RV circumferential PS was correlated with multiple LV parameters, lipids, and infarct extent (r=0.323 to 0.574; all P<0.05). After adjusting for age, sex, and blood pressure, HTG remained independently associated with impaired RV radial, circumferential, and longitudinal PS (all P<0.05).

Conclusions: HTG is associated with greater RV strain impairment in patients with MI. Our findings suggest that triglyceride levels and LV infarct extent may be associated with RV strain impairment, warranting further investigation in prospective studies.