Heart failure & cardiomyopathiesCross-sectional study

Mechanical Wave Analysis at High Frame-Rate Echocardiography

JACC Cardiovasc ImagingPublished

  • Cross-sectional study
  • community-based

Authors' conclusion

MW measurement, especially AK, is a feasible adjunct to standard echocardiography. However, the normal ranges are wide, even among participants with otherwise normal studies. MW velocities do not seem to be abnormal in subclinical dysfunction.

Study context

Population
Asymptomatic participants from a community-based HF surveillance program
Participants
239 participants
Exposure
Without overt CVD vs Subclinical dysfunction
  • Without overt CVDn = 66reference
  • Subclinical dysfunctionn = 103
Outcome
Feasibility, key determinants and normal ranges of mechanical wave (MW) velocities at high-frame rate echocardiography

Main finding

As reported in the abstract

Feasibility of manual MW measurement
Parasternal long-axis (PLAX) view: Atrial kick (AK)
80%
PLAX view: Aortic valve closure (AVC)
77%
PLAX view: Mitral valve closure (MVC)
77%
A4C view: AK
91%
A4C view: AVC
85%
A4C view: MVC
62%

Observational data: associations, not effects.

Further findings

OutcomeWithout overt CVDSubclinical dysfunction
MW velocities, PLAX view
AVC3.91 ± 1.82 m/sNot reported in the abstract
MVC3.58 ± 1.67 m/sNot reported in the abstract
AK1.77 ± 1.10 m/sNot reported in the abstract
MW velocities, A4C view
AVC4.09 ± 1.54 m/sNot reported in the abstract
MVC5.63 ± 1.61 m/sNot reported in the abstract
AK1.24 ± 0.38 m/sNot reported in the abstract

MW velocities in subclinical dysfunction and by echocardiographic findings

Values generally slightly higher in asymptomatic people with subclinical dysfunction
Only AK significantly different between normal and abnormal echocardiography

Agreement

Poor agreement between A4C and PLAX MVC signals, especially with high-velocity measurements
Little bias within and between observers, but wide limits of agreement for all measures

Original publication

Mechanical Wave Analysis at High Frame-Rate Echocardiography. JACC Cardiovasc Imaging. Published 27 August 2025. doi:10.1016/j.jcmg.2025.08.006

Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it