I read with great interest the study by Gjesdal et al. [1], which confirmed that, in chronic infarction, peak systolic longitudinal strain by 2D-STE (two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography) correlates with the infarct mass assessed by CE MRI (contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging) at a global level, and separates infarcted from non-infarcted tissue, and that global strain is an excellent predictor of myocardial infarct size in chronic ischaemic heart disease. The methods and interpretation of the results, however, raise several concerns. It is well-known that hypertension, hypercholesterolaemia, diabetes, Graves' disease and paroxysmal atrial fibrillation etc. could affect left ventricular myocardial segments and global function to some extent [2]. In the study by Gjesdahl et al. [1] the relevant history of the above-mentioned diseases was not described in the normal control group, although the disease history was described in the patient group. Is there a relationship between...

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