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MyoStrain heart assessment, rapid cardiac MRI strain analysis for early cardiac dysfunction.

MyoStrain is a fast cardiac MRI strain analysis that detects subclinical cardiac dysfunction - often years before conventional LVEF changes. Used in cardio-oncology monitoring, cardiomyopathy screening and heart-failure risk stratification.

A cardiac MRI radiologist performing a MyoStrain analysis in a private London clinic

Indicative pricing

What a private MyoStrain assessment costs in London.

Indicative ranges across UK private providers.

In short

£350–£600, with reports typically within 24–48 hours.

Scan type Indicative range
MyoStrain add-on to cardiac MRI £350–£600
Cardiac MRI + MyoStrain (bundled) £950–£1,600
Cardio-oncology baseline (MRI + MyoStrain + cardiology) £1,200–£1,800
Serial MyoStrain follow-up scan £800–£1,300
Cardiomyopathy work-up (MRI + MyoStrain + genetics referral) £1,500–£2,400
Urgent same-week study £1,100–£1,900

Prices vary by clinic, whether MyoStrain is bundled with a full cardiac MRI, and whether a same-visit consultant cardiology opinion is included.

The problem

Ejection fraction misses early damage. Strain doesn’t.

By the time LVEF drops, the muscle has often been dysfunctional for months. MyoStrain reads the deformation itself - a more sensitive, quantitative early-warning signal - reported by a cardiologist and MRI radiologist together.

  • Family history of cardiomyopathy?

    MyoStrain gives a quantitative baseline you and your relatives can compare against.

  • Heart-failure risk work-up?

    MyoStrain can sit within a rounded assessment - cardiac MRI, bloods, ECG.

What it shows

When MyoStrain is the right test.

MyoStrain answers a specific question - is the heart muscle deforming normally, and if not, where and how much. These are the most common presentations.

  • Global longitudinal strain (GLS)

    The single most sensitive marker of early left-ventricular dysfunction.

  • Regional strain abnormalities

    Segment-by-segment map - the earliest sign of localised injury or ischaemia.

  • Subclinical cardiotoxicity (chemo)

    Detects chemotherapy-related dysfunction before LVEF changes appear.

  • Cardiomyopathy screening

    Baseline strain profile for hypertrophic, dilated and genetic cardiomyopathies.

  • Amyloid infiltration pattern

    Characteristic apical-sparing strain signature suggestive of cardiac amyloid.

  • Response to heart-failure therapy

    Objective marker of recovery on optimised medical therapy.

  • Baseline for serial monitoring

    A quantitative starting point against which every future scan is compared.

  • Red flag: significant GLS reduction - urgent cardiology review

    A drop in GLS beyond threshold warrants same-week cardiology assessment.

After the scan

What can be done with the answer.

The onward pathways most often considered after a MyoStrain report.

  • Optimise heart-failure therapy

    Objective strain data to titrate ACE inhibitors, beta-blockers and SGLT2 agents.

  • Cardio-oncology pathway

    Baseline and serial MyoStrain alongside your oncology team to protect the heart through treatment.

  • Cardiomyopathy MDT

    A multi-disciplinary team review - cardiology, imaging and genetics working from the same dataset.

  • Genetic counselling

    Referral to inherited cardiac conditions clinic when a familial cardiomyopathy is suspected.

  • Anti-amyloid therapy (ATTR)

    Where an amyloid strain pattern is identified, onward pathway for confirmatory work-up and therapy.

  • Cardiac rehabilitation

    Structured exercise and lifestyle programme, calibrated to your strain baseline.

  • Repeat MyoStrain monitoring

    Scheduled follow-up scans - three, six or twelve months - with quantitative comparison.

  • Structured cardiology follow-up

    A named consultant, a written plan and a clear pathway rather than a one-off scan.

Safety and eligibility

Non-invasive, radiation-free, five minutes added.

MyoStrain is exceptionally safe - the practical points are metallic-implant screening, claustrophobia and knowing what strain does and doesn’t rule out.

  • Painless, radiation-free

    MyoStrain is part of a cardiac MRI - magnetic fields and radio waves, no ionising radiation.

  • Five extra minutes

    The strain sequences add roughly five minutes to a standard cardiac MRI.

  • Position on the couch

    You lie on your back with an ECG lead and a chest coil - the whole preparation.

  • No fasting for most protocols

    Eat, drink and take medication as normal unless the base MRI protocol specifies otherwise.

  • Metallic implants - screening

    Pacemakers, defibrillators and some older implants need pre-scan MRI-safety review.

  • Claustrophobia is manageable

    A wide-bore scanner, headphones and a hand-held call button - say if this is a concern.

  • A normal strain is not the whole picture

    Normal GLS doesn’t exclude every cardiac diagnosis - clinical context still leads.

  • Contrast sometimes used

    The base cardiac MRI may need gadolinium contrast for tissue characterisation - MyoStrain itself does not.

  • Bring prior imaging and letters

    Comparison against previous echo, MRI or oncology letters materially sharpens the report.

Reading your report

A MyoStrain report can look intimidating. It isn’t.

Whatever the finding, the report keeps to the same four parts.

A consultant cardiologist reviewing MyoStrain cardiac MRI images on a clinical workstation at a UK private clinic

A quiet reminder

The report is written for your doctor, not for you - and that’s normal.

If you would like it explained before your follow-up, ask your GP or specialist.

  1. 01 Header

    Indication and clinical context

    Your details, the reason for the scan, and the cardiac risk profile that shapes interpretation.

  2. 02 Technique

    Sequences and analysis method

    Which cardiac MRI sequences were acquired and how the strain analysis was performed.

  3. 03 Findings

    GLS, regional strain, structural data

    Global longitudinal strain, circumferential strain, segment map and structural cardiac MRI findings.

  4. 04 Impression

    The conclusion: read this first

    Normal, subclinical dysfunction, or overt dysfunction - with the concrete next step.

Recognised by major UK insurers

BupaAXA HealthVitalityAvivaWPACignaHealixBupaAXA HealthVitalityAvivaWPACignaHealixBupaAXA HealthVitalityAvivaWPACignaHealix

Frequently asked

Common questions about MyoStrain.

Quick answers on cost, referrals, cardio-oncology monitoring, and how strain compares to ejection fraction.

  • What does MyoStrain actually measure?

    MyoStrain is a rapid cardiac MRI strain analysis. It measures how much the heart muscle deforms with each beat - quantified as global longitudinal strain (GLS) and circumferential strain, at both whole-heart and segmental level. It is often abnormal before ejection fraction (LVEF) drops.

  • Why is strain more sensitive than ejection fraction?

    LVEF measures volume change; strain measures muscle deformation. Muscle fibres shorten abnormally long before the chamber empties less, so a fall in GLS often precedes a fall in LVEF by months or years - especially useful in chemotherapy and cardiomyopathy monitoring.

  • Do I need a referral?

    Most clinics require a cardiology referral for cardiac MRI with MyoStrain.

  • I’m starting chemotherapy - should I have a baseline MyoStrain?

    For anthracycline, trastuzumab and some newer cancer therapies, a baseline strain study is increasingly the standard of care. It gives your oncology team an objective anchor and detects cardiotoxicity early.

  • How quickly will I get results?

    Findings can often be discussed the same day, with the formal written report from the reporting consultants within 24–48 hours.

Related tests

Looking for a different test?

In practice, in London

Where myostrain heart assessment sits in a private London pathway

With myostrain heart assessment, the London question is usually about report turnaround and the radiologist reading it - not whether the scan is available. Waiting lists on the NHS for myostrain heart assessment vary widely by borough and by how the GP letter reads. Privately in London, a slot inside the same week is often possible, sometimes within 48 hours if there is a cancellation. The difference isn’t clinical quality - the consultants are frequently the same faces you’d see on the NHS - it’s the calendar.

In practice, a private myostrain heart assessment appointment in London means a named consultant, a proper hour in the room (or the equivalent on a video call), and a report you can actually read. Many private imaging suites and endoscopy units sit within a mile of Harley Street or in Chelsea and Fulham, and turnaround on findings is measured in days, not weeks. For myostrain heart assessment specifically, the difference between a routine report and a sub-speciality read is where private care earns its keep.

There are dozens of consultants in London who see myostrain heart assessment - but not all of them are the right fit for every case. The right first appointment saves you from repeating yourself later.