Evaluation of right ventricular dysfunction in patients with pulmonary hypertension is useful for clinical management and it has prognostic implications. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of pulmonary hypertension on the regional strain of the right ventricle and to assess the correlation between pulmonary arterial (PA) pressure and right ventricular (RV) strain.

A total of fiftyone patients with chronic obstructive lung disease were classified into two groups on the basis of the presence of normal PA pressure (group I, PA pressure<35 mmHg, n=22) or high PA pressure (group II, PA pressure<35 mmHg, n=29), as estimated by the peak tricuspid regurgitation velocity on Doppler echocardiography. The left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction and RV fractional area change were assessed by conventional echocardiography, and the strain values were obtained from the RV, the LV free wall and the septum.

The baseline characteristics were similar in both groups except for the peak PA pressure (group I: 30.2±3.9 mmHg, group II: 44.4±7.5 mmHg, p<0.00001). Group II had statistically reduced basal RV strain (-%) (20.3±7.1) compared to group I (24.1±6.7, p=0.033). The basal RV strain correlated with the PA pressure (r²=0.269, p=0.004).

RV strain could determine regional RV dysfunction in patients with pulmonary hypertension.