The June issue of JASE includes “Preservation of Right Ventricular Function in Middle-Aged Recreational Endurance Athletes.” Lead author Mina Girgis, MD remarks, “Our study demonstrates that right ventricular (RV) systolic function, based on RV free-wall strain, is preserved in middle-aged endurance athletes. This finding alleviates concerns raised in previous studies and suggests the safety of continued exercise in this age group.” Notably, this issue also features research findings supported in part by the ASE Foundation in accordance with the World Alliance Societies of Echocardiography (WASE), entitled, “Age-, Sex-, and Race-Based Normal Values for Left Ventricular Circumferential Strain from the World Alliance Societies of Echocardiography Study.”
Additionally, a second clinical investigation assesses gender and racial differences in the context of indexing LV end-diastolic volume to normal echocardiography data. Editorial comments accompany two articles including one on new normative values for circumferential strain and another on price transparency and cardiovascular spending. This issue features a focus topic of the right heart, supplying several clinical investigations such as identification of a pulmonary hypertension phenotype in heart failure, prognostic impact of RV strain in isolated severe tricuspid regurgitation, RV electromechanical dyssynchrony’s relation to Ebstein anomaly, and analysis of RV intracardiac flow in pediatric patients with repaired tetralogy of Fallot. Various brief research communications enhance this array of topics including a decade-long study on the changes in myocardial tissue velocities presented by the Copenhagen City Heart Study. A letter to the editor will engage readers regarding the importance of accurate echocardiographic assessment for improved cardiovascular outcomes in women.
To better understand what captures the interest of JASE’s readership, Patricia A. Pellikka, MD, FASE, utilizes her editorial to examine elements of some recent articles with the greatest number of downloads. From educational ASE guidelines to insightful studies in the Brief Communications section, JASE strives to continue providing valuable offerings to its readers.
In his final President’s Message, Stephen H. Little, MD, FASE, reflects on the progress of initiatives begun in his tenure as president and points to the groundwork laid for future focus areas of the Society. Please see the June ASE Education Calendar for a listing of educational opportunities far and wide.
