Cardiac remodeling and function after stress echocardiography in patients with decompensated cirrhosis Cheng Yangyang, Yue Wensheng, He Xiuli, Li Yuhan, Zeng Yali, Liu Yanqing, Cui Fangzhao, Guo Zhiyu 1 Ultrasound Department，the Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College，Nanchong 637000，China. 2 GE Healthcare Cardiac & Vascular ultrasound Clinic Education Team, Chengdu 611731,China Abstract Objective: To explore the cardiac structure, function and hemodynamic changes before and after 6-minute step test (6MST) in patients with decompensated cirrhosis. Methods: Sixty-six decompensated cirrhosis patients were recruited from the medical inpatient clinic, and the control group was erolled from a local health exhibition and consisted of 35 age- and sex-matched healthy subjects. The atrioventricular size, wall thickness, systolic and diastolic function and hemodynamic parameters etc. were obtained and analyzed using echocardiography before and after 6MST. Results: 1）In pre-6MST, patients with decompensated cirrhosis had higher left ventricular cardiac output (CO), larger left atrium diameter(LAD), longer isovolumic relaxation time (IVRT) and E wave deceleration time (EDT), higher RV-Tei， peak early diastolic transpulmonary valve pressure gradient (PRPG) and peak systolic transtricuspid pressure gradient (TRPG)，lower RV-FAC% compared with control group (P all<0.05). 2）After immediately 6MST, the difference of IVRT、EDT、E/e、PRPG and TRPG increased between two groups (P all<0.05). Furthermore, patients with decompensated cirrhosis existed lower HR change rate% (P all<0.05). Conclusions: Patients with decompensated cirrhosis had subclinical myocardial dysfunction, The 6MST improved the evaluation of positive inotropic and positive chronotropic and the detection of impaired diastolic function on cardiac damage in patients with decompensated cirrhosis. Keywords: Decompensated cirrhosis; Echocardiography; 6MST; Cardiac structure; Cardiac function