Can stress tests reveal hidden heart damage in sickle cell patients?

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria - Stratum A: Sickle cell patients with diastolic dysfunction * 18 to 21 years of age * Black * Diagnosis of SCD of HbSS and HbSβ0thalassemia genotypes * Three or more abnormal diastolic parameters (based on guidelines by American Society of echocardiography) Inclusion Criteria - Stratum B: Sickle cell patients without diastolic dysfunction * 18 to 21 years of age * Black * Diagnosis of SCD of HbSS and HbSβ0thalassemia genotypes * Two or less abnormal diastolic parameters Inclusion Criteria - Stratum C: Healthy controls * 18 to 21 years of age * Black * Two or less abnormal diastolic parameters Exclusion Criteria - Stratum A: * Recent hospitalization for vaso-occlusive pain crisis or acute chest syndrome in last 4 weeks * Blood transfusion in the last 3 months * Individuals with signs, symptoms or EKG findings of acute myocardial ischemia, infarction or unstable angina * Individuals with history of VT/VF or SVT * Previous cardiac surgery * Known congenital heart disease (other than patent ductus arteriosus or Atrial septal defect) * Stenotic valvular disease or left main coronary artery stenosis * History of myo/pericarditis * Left ventricle systolic dysfunction * Cardiovascular instability/uncontrolled hypertension (h/o hypertensive urgency or emergency) * History of sinus node dysfunction or high grade AV nodal block * History of aborted sudden cardiac death or cardiac arrest * Current seizure disorder on AED * Pregnant/Breast-feeding * Any medical or social reason, which, in the opinion of the principal investigators would make the participation of the subject ill-advised. Exclusion Criteria - Stratum B: * Diagnosed with three or more abnormal diastolic parameters (based on guidelines by American Society of echocardiography) * Recent hospitalization for vaso-occlusive pain crisis or acute chest syndrome in last 4 weeks * Blood transfusion in the last 3 months * Individuals with signs, symptoms or EKG findings of acute myocardial ischemia, infarction or unstable angina * Individuals with history of VT/VF or SVT * Previous cardiac surgery * Known congenital heart disease (other than patent ductus arteriosus or Atrial septal defect) * Stenotic valvular disease or left main coronary artery stenosis * History of myo/pericarditis * Left ventricle systolic dysfunction * Cardiovascular instability/uncontrolled hypertension (h/o hypertensive urgency or emergency) * History of sinus node dysfunction or high-grade AV nodal block * History of aborted sudden cardiac death or cardiac arrest * Current seizure disorder on AED * Pregnant/Breast-feeding * Any medical or social reason, which, in the opinion of the principal investigators would make the participation of the subject ill-advised. Exclusion Criteria - Stratum C: * All genotypes of SCD * Diagnosed with three or more abnormal diastolic parameters (based on guidelines by American Society of echocardiography) * Anemia of grade 2 or worse (per CTCAE v5.0) at study visit 1 * Individuals with signs, symptoms or EKG findings of acute myocardial ischemia, infarction or unstable angina * Individuals with history of VT/VF or SVT * Previous cardiac surgery * Known congenital heart disease (other than patent ductus arteriosus or Atrial septal defect) * Stenotic valvular disease or left main coronary artery stenosis * History of myo/pericarditis * Left ventricle systolic dysfunction * Cardiovascular instability/uncontrolled hypertension (h/o hypertensive urgency or emergency) * History of sinus node dysfunction or high-grade AV nodal block * History of aborted sudden cardiac death or cardiac arrest * Current seizure disorder on AED * Pregnant/Breast- feeding * Any medical or social reason, which, in the opinion of the principal investigators would make the participation of the subject ill-advised.