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Contact: Angie Porter
919-297-7152
APorter@ASEcho.org
New Research Study Uses Echocardiography to Compare Global Longitudinal Strain Values Among College Athletes Diagnosed with a COVID-19 Infection
(DURHAM, NC, June 23, 2023)—COVID-19 may no longer be a global health emergency, but the effects of the disease, which is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, are still being felt and studied. Research that will be presented at the American Society of Echocardiography’s (ASE) 34th Annual Scientific Sessions, June 23-26, 2023, in National Harbor, Md., will share how echocardiography was used to analyze left ventricular global longitudinal strain (GLS) in college athletes who experienced mild-to-moderate SARS-CoV-2 infection.
In the study, nearly 200 student athletes from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, who tested positive for COVID-19 from September-March 2020, underwent a comprehensive echocardiogram to collect various data, including GLS values. GLS values can vary with age and sex, but they can be used to help predict future cardiovascular events and detect structural heart diseases.
The study found that GLS was normal in most college athletes when compared to reported normal values. However, GLS values in male football players were lower than previously reported normal values. These echocardiographic findings were supported by cardiac MRIs.
“Collecting and comparing GLS enables medical professionals to better monitor athletes for heart abnormalities associated with viral illnesses, such as COVID-19,” says the study’s lead author Dr. Parag A. Tipnis, an associate clinical professor in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “Echocardiography remains a powerful tool in the diagnosis of cardiac disease and can be complementary to other modalities, such as cardiac MRIs, to help determine when athletes or patients can return to normal activities after an illness.”
Dr. Tipnis described the research findings as hypothesis generating, and stressed the importance of further analyzing GLS values in larger patient populations.
“My research team and I believe that future studies of GLS patterns in college athletes will be important in helping detect heart issues and minimizing the risk of sudden cardiac death,” he continued.
Highlighting continuing innovations in the cardiovascular ultrasound field, nearly 400 abstract poster presentations will be featured during ASE 2023. This study, titled Comparison of Global Longitudinal Strain Among College Athletes Diagnosed with Mild to Moderate SARS-CoV-2 Infection, will be presented Saturday, June 24, 7 a.m. to 7:50 a.m. ET at the Gaylord National Harbor Resort and Convention Center. Learn more about ASE 2023 and download the conference’s final event program at ASEScientificSessions.org.
About American Society of Echocardiography
The American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) is the Society for Cardiovascular Ultrasound Professionals™. ASE is the largest global organization for cardiovascular ultrasound imaging serving physicians, sonographers, nurses, veterinarians, and scientists and as such is the leader and advocate, setting practice standards and guidelines for the field. The Society is committed to advancing cardiovascular ultrasound to improve lives. For more information, visit ASE’s website ASEcho.org or social media pages on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or Instagram.
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