Background: The presence of an electrocardiographic (ECG) strain pattern—among other ECG features—has been shown to be predictive of adverse cardiovascular outcomes in asymptomatic patients with aortic stenosis. However, data evaluating its impact on symptomatic patients undergoing TAVI are scarce. Therefore, we tried to investigate the prognostic impact of baseline ECG strain pattern on clinical outcomes after TAVI. Methods: A sub-group of patients of the randomized DIRECT (Pre-dilatation in Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation Trial) trial with severe aortic stenosis who underwent TAVI with a self-expanding valve in one single center were consecutively enrolled. Patients were categorized into two groups according to the presence of ECG strain. Left ventricular strain was defined as the presence of ≥1 mm convex ST-segment depression with asymmetrical T-wave inversion in leads V5 to V6 on the baseline 12-lead ECG. Patients were excluded if they had paced rhythm or left bundle branch block at baseline. Multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression models were generated to assess the impact on outcomes. The primary clinical endpoint was all-cause mortality at 1 year after TAVI. Results: Of the 119 patients screened, 5 patients were excluded due to left bundle branch block. Among the 114 included patients (mean age: 80.8 ± 7), 37 patients (32.5%) had strain pattern on pre-TAVI ECG, while 77 patients (67.5%) did not exhibit an ECG strain pattern. No differences in baseline characteristics were found between the two groups. At 1 year, seven patients reached the primary clinical endpoint, with patients in the strain group demonstrating significantly higher mortality in Kaplan–Meier plots compared to patients without left ventricular strain (five vs. two, log-rank p = 0.022). There was no difference between the strain and no strain group regarding the performance of pre-dilatation (21 vs. 33, chi-square p = 0.164). In the multivariate analysis, left ventricular strain was found to be an independent predictor of all-cause mortality after TAVI [Exp(B): 12.2, 95% Confidence Intervals (CI): 1.4–101.9]. Conclusion: Left ventricular ECG strain is an independent predictor of all-cause mortality after TAVI. Thus, baseline ECG characteristics may aid in risk-stratifying patients scheduled for TAVI.
Background
Many patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) have concomitant mitral regurgitation (MR) of moderate grade or more. The impact of coexistent tricuspid regurgitation (TR) remains to be determined.
Methods
Patients with severe and symptomatic aortic stenosis [effective orifice area (EOA)≤1cm2] referred for TAVI at our institution were consecutively enrolled. Prospectively collected demographic, laboratory and echocardiographic data were retrospectively analysed. Patients were divided into 4 groups according to MR and TR severity pre-procedurally: no/mild MR and TR, moderate/severe MR, moderate/severe TR, moderate/severe MR and TR. Primary clinical endpoint was all-cause mortality, as defined by the criteria proposed by the Valve Academic Research Consortium2.
Results
A total of 244 consecutive patients were enrolled in the study: 148 (60.7%) patients no/mild MR and TR, 32 (13.1%) moderate/severe MR, 35 (14.3%) moderate/severe TR, 29 (11.9%) moderate/severe MR and TR pre-procedurally. There was significant difference in pre-procedural pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP) among groups (no/mild MR and TR: 40.8±10 mmHg, moderate/severe MR: 46.6±11.2 mmHg, moderate/severe TR: 49.9±13mmHg, moderate/severe MR and TR: 59.8±15.2mmHg, p<0.0001). The Kaplan–Meier curves for 2 year mortality showed that the severity of TR was associated with poor survival. Interestingly, patients with moderate/severe MR and TR had the worse survival (no/mild MR and TR (91.2%), moderate/severe MR (78.1%), moderate/severe TR (62.9%), moderate/severe MR and TR (62.1%), p<0.0001).
Conclusion
The presence of concomitant moderate or severe mitral and tricuspid valve regurgitation was associated with the higher mortality. This suggests that a thorough evaluation of the mechanisms underlying concomitant mitral and tricuspid valve regurgitation should be performed to determine the best strategy for avoiding TAVI-related futility.
FUNDunding Acknowledgement
Type of funding sources: None.
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