Echocardiographic Assessment of Cardiac Function in Coronary Artery Disease Patients over a 12-Week Treatment Period

Abstract

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a leading cause of global morbidity and mortality, with progressive left ventricular dysfunction being a critical determinant of prognosis. Serial monitoring of cardiac function during guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) is essential, yet data on the short-term echocardiographic trajectory in a real-world setting are limited. Objective: This study aimed to prospectively assess changes in echocardiographic parameters of cardiac function in CAD patients over a standardized 12-week GDMT period. This prospective cohort study was conducted at International Medical College, Dhaka, Bangladesh, from January to December 2023. Using purposive sampling, 63 diagnosed CAD patients were enrolled. All participants received optimized GDMT per standard protocols. Transthoracic echocardiography was performed at baseline and after 12 weeks, with key measurements including left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), end-diastolic volume (LVEDV), end-systolic volume (LVESV), and E/e' ratio. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 23.0, employing paired t-tests for normally distributed data (p<0.05 considered significant). Among 63 patients (mean age 58.7±9.2 years, 68.3% male), significant improvements were observed in key echocardiographic parameters after 12 weeks. Left ventricular ejection fraction increased from 45.2±7.8% to 49.5±8.1% (p=0.003). Concurrently, left ventricular end-systolic volume decreased from 68.5±15.2 mL to 62.1±14.7 mL (p=0.010), and the average E/e' ratio declined from 12.4±3.1 to 10.8±2.9 (p=0.020). A 12-week course of guideline-directed medical therapy in CAD patients leads to significant early echocardiographic improvement in systolic and diastolic function. These findings support the utility of short-interval echocardiographic follow-up to objectively monitor therapeutic response.   CBMJ 2026 July: Vol. 15 No. 02 P:296-303