[Hinews] SEOUL, South Korea — A new study from Asan Medical Center in Seoul has revealed that echocardiography, a common diagnostic tool, can do more than assess heart function—it can also predict quality of life in patients with heart failure. The research, conducted in collaboration with Brigham and Women’s Hospital at Harvard Medical School, was recently published in the European Journal of Heart Failure.

Led by Dr. Samineh Eisa, a cardiologist at Asan Medical Center, the research team analyzed data from 406 heart failure patients whose left ventricular ejection fraction was 40% or less. The study examined how echocardiographic markers related to changes in quality of life over 24 weeks of drug therapy with either sacubitril/valsartan or enalapril.

Quality of life was measured using the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ-12), which assesses symptom frequency, physical limitations, social restrictions, and overall life satisfaction. The findings showed a clear link between improvements in diastolic function—the heart’s ability to fill with blood—and enhanced quality of life.

Dr. Samineh Eisa, a cardiologist at Asan Medical Center in Seoul, conducts an echocardiogram on a heart failure patient. (Photo courtesy of Asan Medical Center)
Dr. Samineh Eisa, a cardiologist at Asan Medical Center in Seoul, conducts an echocardiogram on a heart failure patient. (Photo courtesy of Asan Medical Center)


Specifically, an increase in mitral annular velocity (e’), a key indicator of diastolic function, was linked to measurable benefits—reductions of 2.4 to 2.7 points in physical limitations, 3.4 to 3.6 points in social restrictions, and a 2.3 to 2.4 point improvement in life satisfaction. Similarly, a reduction in the septal E/e’ ratio, which reflects diastolic pressure, correlated with a 2.8-point improvement in physical limitations, a 3.1-point reduction in social restrictions, and a 3.3-point increase in life satisfaction.
In contrast, other echocardiographic markers, such as systolic function or right ventricular performance, showed no significant correlation with quality-of-life changes.

“This study confirms that echocardiography is not only a diagnostic tool but also a way to quantify patients’ quality of life,” Dr. Eisa said. “Looking ahead, we aim to develop patient-centered precision treatments guided by advanced imaging diagnostics.”

Asan Medical Center’s Heart Hospital, which performs more than 70,000 high-resolution 3D echocardiograms annually, is at the forefront of combining advanced imaging with clinical care to improve cardiovascular diagnosis and treatment.

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