Image acquisition

Patients underwent CMR examination using a 1.5 T system (Magnetom Avanto or Aera, Siemens Healthineers, Erlangen, Germany; or Intera CV, Philips Healthcare, Best, The Netherlands). Standard CMR cine images were acquired using a retrospectively ECG-gated balanced steady-state free-precession (bSSFP) sequence with standard short-axis and long-axis orientations to measure LV volumes and calculate LV ejection fraction (LVEF). Typically, temporal resolution was < 50 ms and the number of reconstructed temporal phases within the cardiac cycle was set between 20 and 30. Typical image acquisition parameters were: slice thickness/slice gap: 5/5 mm, 8/0 mm or 6/4 mm; echo time (TE)/repetition time (TR): 1.6 ms/3.2 ms; in-plane spatial resolution: 1.5 by 2.1 mm; flip angle: 45 to 75 degrees. Cine imaging of the LV in the three-chamber view was performed to assess aortic valve closure (AVC). Myocardial scar territory was assessed by late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) imaging, and infarct size was measured using the full width at half maximum method [12]. All CMR data were analyzed using dedicated offline software (QMassMR version 7.6, Medis, Leiden, The Netherlands).