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A groundbreaking study from researchers at Karolinska Institutet and Södersjukhuset has found that advanced ultrasound imaging, specifically global longitudinal strain (GLS), cannot identify which patients would benefit from beta-blocker treatment following a myocardial infarction (heart attack). The study, published in European Heart Journal—Cardiovascular Imaging, serves as a follow-up to the 2024 REDUCE-AMI trial, which concluded that beta-blockers offer no benefit to patients with normal left ventricular function after a heart attack.
Led by Associate Professors Robin Hofmann, Katarina Mars, and Martin Sundqvist at Södersjukhuset, the study sought to explore if GLS could serve as a more reliable prognostic marker than traditional assessments of left ventricular function. However, the results indicated that GLS failed to offer additional prognostic information.
“We aimed to see if GLS could provide a better indication of patient outcomes than conventional left ventricular function measurements, but unfortunately, it did not,” explained Robin Hofmann. “Our results suggest that GLS does not add value in predicting death or subsequent heart attacks in these patients.”
The study included 1,436 patients who had preserved left ventricular function post-myocardial infarction. However, 324 participants were excluded from the analysis due to poor image quality or incompatible ultrasound equipment. The researchers found no significant difference between the predictive power of GLS and traditional measures in identifying patients who might benefit from beta-blockers.
“Our study confirms that GLS does not outperform traditional methods for assessing left ventricular function in predicting outcomes for these patients,” Hofmann added. “Thus, we cannot recommend the routine use of GLS to identify patients who would benefit from beta-blocker therapy.”
These findings add to the growing body of evidence challenging the clinical benefit of beta-blockers in patients with preserved left ventricular function following myocardial infarction. The study’s authors hope their results will inform future treatment guidelines and improve patient care.
Disclaimer: The findings presented in this article are based on the study published by Katarina Mars et al. in the European Heart Journal – Cardiovascular Imaging (2025), titled “The prognostic value of global longitudinal strain in patients with myocardial infarction and preserved ejection fraction—a prespecified substudy of the REDUCE-AMI trial.” The study’s conclusions are specific to the population and methodology used, and further research is necessary to refine treatment strategies for heart attack survivors. Always consult a healthcare professional for medical advice tailored to individual circumstances.
