Strain Echocardiography and Functional Capacity in Asymptomatic Primary Mitral Regurgitation With Preserved Ejection Fraction.

The potential additive utility of baseline resting left ventricular global longitudinal strain (LV-GLS) and exercise stress testing in risk stratification of patients with significant mitral regurgitation (MR) has not been studied. The goal of this study was to determine whether resting LV-GLS and exercise testing provide incremental prognostic utility in asymptomatic patients with ≥3+ primary MR and preserved left ventricular ejection fraction. Between 2000 and 2011, resting and exercise echocardiography data, Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) scores, and death were recorded in 737 patients (mean age 58 ± 13 years; 68% men). Coronary artery disease and flail leaflet were seen in 10% and 28% of patients, respectively. STS score, resting left ventricular ejection fraction, mitral effective regurgitant orifice, resting right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP), exercise metabolic equivalents (METs), and percentage of age-/sex-predicted METs were 1.5 ± 1%, 62 ± 2%, 0.45 ± 0.2 cm2, 31 ± 12 mm Hg, 9.8 ± 3, and 115 ± 27, respectively. Median LV-GLS was -21.7%. Within 3 months (interquartile range: 1 to 15 months), 65% underwent mitral valve surgery. At 8.3 ± 3 years, 64 (9%) patients died (0% 30-day post-operative deaths). On multivariable Cox survival analysis, higher STS score (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.14), more abnormal resting LV-GLS (HR: 1.60), higher baseline RVSP (HR: 1.35), and lower percentage of age-/sex-predicted METs (HR: 1.13) were associated with higher mortality, whereas mitral valve surgery (HR: 0.82) was associated with improved survival (all p < 0.01). Addition of predicted METs and resting LV-GLS to STS, resting RVSP, left ventricular end-systolic dimension, and mitral effective regurgitant orifice increased the C-statistic for longer-term mortality from 0.61 to 0.69 and 0.78, respectively (all p < 0.01). On quadratic spline analysis, the risk of death progressively increased as resting LV-GLS worsened below -21%. Reduced exercise capacity and worsening resting LV-GLS were associated with mortality, providing additive prognostic utility.

Mentias A ，Naji P ，Gillinov AM ，Rodriguez LL ，Reed G ，Mihaljevic T ，Suri RM ，Sabik JF ，Svensson LG ，Grimm RA ，Griffin BP ，Desai MY ... -  《-》

Synergistic Utility of Brain Natriuretic Peptide and Left Ventricular Global Longitudinal Strain in Asymptomatic Patients With Significant Primary Mitral Regurgitation and Preserved Systolic Function Undergoing Mitral Valve Surgery.

In asymptomatic patients with ≥3+ mitral regurgitation and preserved left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction who underwent mitral valve surgery, we sought to discover whether baseline LV global longitudinal strain (LV-GLS) and brain natriuretic peptide provided incremental prognostic utility. Four hundred and forty-eight asymptomatic patients (61±12 years and 69% men) with ≥3+ primary mitral regurgitation and preserved left ventricular ejection fraction, who underwent mitral valve surgery (92% repair) at our center between 2005 and 2008, were studied. Baseline clinical and echocardiographic data (including LV-GLS using Velocity Vector Imaging, Siemens, PA) were recorded. The Society of Thoracic Surgeons score was calculated. The primary outcome was death. Mean Society of Thoracic Surgeons score, left ventricular ejection fraction, mitral effective regurgitant orifice, indexed LV end-diastolic volume, and right ventricular systolic pressure were 4±1%, 62±3%, 0.55±0.2 cm(2), 58±13 cc/m(2), and 37±15 mm Hg, respectively. Forty-five percent of patients had flail. Median log-transformed BNP and LV-GLS were 4.04 (absolute brain natriuretic peptide: 60 pg/dL) and -20.7%. At 7.7±2 years, death occurred in 41 patients (9%; 0% at 30 days). On Cox analysis, a higher Society of Thoracic Surgeons score (hazard ratio 1.55), higher baseline right ventricular systolic pressure (hazard ratio 1.11), more abnormal LV-GLS (hazard ratio 1.17), and higher median log-transformed BNP (hazard ratio 2.26) were associated with worse longer-term survival (all P<0.01). Addition of LV-GLS and median log-transformed BNP to a clinical model (Society of Thoracic Surgeons score and baseline right ventricular systolic pressure) provided incremental prognostic utility (χ(2) for longer-term mortality increased from 31-47 to 61; P<0.001). In asymptomatic patients with significant primary mitral regurgitation and preserved left ventricular ejection fraction who underwent mitral valve surgery, brain natriuretic peptide and LV-GLS provided synergistic risk stratification, independent of established factors.

Alashi A ，Mentias A ，Patel K ，Gillinov AM ，Sabik JF ，Popović ZB ，Mihaljevic T ，Suri RM ，Rodriguez LL ，Svensson LG ，Griffin BP ，Desai MY ... -  《-》

Incremental Prognostic Utility of Left Ventricular Global Longitudinal Strain in Asymptomatic Patients With Significant Chronic Aortic Regurgitation and Preserved Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction.

This study sought to examine the prognostic utility of left ventricular (LV) global longitudinal strain (GLS) in asymptomatic patients with ≥III+ aortic regurgitation (AR), an indexed LV end-systolic dimension of <2.5 cm/m2, and preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Management of asymptomatic patients with severe chronic AR and preserved LVEF is challenging and is typically based on LV dimensions. We studied 1,063 such patients (age 53 ± 16 years; 77% men) seen between 2003 and 2010 (excluding those with symptoms, obstructive coronary artery disease, acute AR/dissection, aortic/mitral stenosis, more than moderate mitral regurgitation, and previous cardiac surgery). Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) score was calculated. The primary endpoint was mortality. Average resting LV-GLS was measured offline on 2-, 3-, and 4-chamber views using Velocity Vector Imaging (Siemens, Malvern, Pennsylvania). Mean STS score, LVEF, LV-GLS, and right ventricular systolic pressure were 4.4 ± 5.0%, 57.0 ± 4.0%, -19.5 ± 0.2%, and 31.0 ± 9.0 mm Hg, respectively. In total, 671 patients (63%) underwent aortic valve surgery at a median of 42 days after the initial evaluation. At 6.8 ± 3.0 years, 146 patients (14%) had died. On multivariable Cox survival analysis, LV-GLS (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.11), STS score (HR: 1.51), indexed LV end-systolic dimension (HR: 0.50), right ventricular systolic pressure (HR: 1.33), and aortic valve surgery (HR: 0.35) were associated with longer term mortality (all p < 0.001). Sequential addition of LV-GLS and aortic valve surgery improved the C-statistic for longer term mortality for the clinical model (STS score + right ventricular systolic pressure + indexed LV end-systolic dimension) from 0.61 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.51 to 0.72) to 0.67 (95% CI: 0.54 to 0.87) and to 0.77 (95% CI: 0.63 to 0.90), respectively (p < 0.001 for both). A significantly higher proportion (log-rank p = 0.01) of patients with LV-GLS worse than median (-19.5%) died versus those with an LV-GLS better than median (86 of 513 [17%] vs. 60 of 550 [11%]). The risk of death at 5 years significantly increased with an LV-GLS of worse than -19%. In asymptomatic patients with ≥III+ chronic AR and preserved LVEF, worsening LV-GLS was associated with longer term mortality, providing incremental prognostic value and improved reclassification.

Alashi A ，Mentias A ，Abdallah A ，Feng K ，Gillinov AM ，Rodriguez LL ，Johnston DR ，Svensson LG ，Popovic ZB ，Griffin BP ，Desai MY ... -  《-》

Prognostic Utility of Brain Natriuretic Peptide in Asymptomatic Patients With Significant Mitral Regurgitation and Preserved Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction.

We sought to study the prognostic utility of serum brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) in patients with significant primary mitral regurgitation (MR) and preserved left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF). Consecutive 548 asymptomatic patients (age 62 ± 13 years and 66% men) with ≥ 3 + primary MR and preserved LVEF on echo at rest, evaluated at our center from 2005 to 2008 were studied. Baseline clinical and echo data were recorded and the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) score was calculated. Mean STS score was 4 ± 1%. Mean LVEF, mitral effective regurgitant orifice, indexed LV end-systolic diameter, and right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP) were 62 ± 4%, 0.55 ± 0.3 cm(2), 1.6 ± 0.3 cm/m(2), and 38 ± 15 mm Hg; 43% had flail. Median log-transformed brain natriuretic peptide (lnBNP) was 4.1 (interquartile range 3.30 to 5.0), corresponding to an absolute BNP value of 60 pg/ml (only 13% had an absolute BNP value >250 pg/ml). At 7.4 ± 2 years, 493 patients (90%) had mitral surgery (92% repair) and nonmalignancy death occurred in 53 patients (10%). On multivariate Cox analysis, higher STS score (hazard ratio [HR] 1.50, 95% CI 1.20 to 1.88), higher baseline RVSP (HR 1.17, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.35), and higher ln BNP (HR 2.51, 95% CI 1.86 to 3.39) predicted death, whereas mitral surgery (HR 0.17, 95% CI 0.09 to 0.30) was associated with improved survival (all p <0.01). Eighty-nine percent of deaths occurred in patients with lnBNP >4.1. Addition of lnBNP to a model of STS score, baseline RVSP, and mitral surgery provided incremental prognostic utility (chi-square for mortality increased from 137 to 162, p <0.001). In conclusion, in asymptomatic patients with ≥ 3 + primary MR and preserved LVEF, the addition of BNP improved risk stratification and higher BNP independently predicted reduced survival.

Mentias A ，Patel K ，Patel H ，Gillinov AM ，Rodriguez LL ，Svensson LG ，Mihaljevic T ，Sabik JF ，Griffin BP ，Desai MY ... -  《-》

Outcomes in Asymptomatic Severe Aortic Stenosis With Preserved Ejection Fraction Undergoing Rest and Treadmill Stress Echocardiography.

In asymptomatic patients with severe aortic stenosis and preserved left ventricular ejection fraction, we sought to assess the incremental prognostic value of resting valvuloarterial impedence (Zva) and left ventricular global longitudinal strain (LV-GLS) to treadmill stress echocardiography. We studied 504 such patients (66±12 years, 78% men, 32% with coronary artery disease who underwent treadmill stress echocardiography between 2001 and 2012. Clinical and exercise variables (% of age-sex predicted metabolic equivalents [%AGP-METs]) were recorded. Resting Zva ([systolic arterial pressure+mean aortic valve gradient]/[LV-stroke volume index]) and LV-GLS (measured offline using Velocity Vector Imaging, Siemens) were obtained from the baseline resting echocardiogram. Death was the primary outcome. There were no major adverse cardiac events during treadmill stress echocardiography. Indexed aortic valve area, Zva, and LV-GLS were 0.46±0.1 cm2/m2, 4.5±0.9 mm Hg/mL per m2 and -16±4%, respectively; only 50% achieved >100% AGP-METs. Sixty-four percent underwent aortic valve replacement. Death occurred in 164 (33%) patients over 8.9±3.6 years (2 within 30 days of aortic valve replacement). On multivariable Cox survival analysis, higher Society of Thoracic Surgeons score (hazard ratio or HR 1.06), lower % AGP-METS (HR 1.16), higher Zva (HR 1.25) and lower LV-GLS (HR 1.12) were associated with higher longer-term mortality, while aortic valve replacement (HR 0.45) was associated with improved survival (all P<0.01). Sequential addition of ZVa and LV-GLS to clinical model (Society of Thoracic Surgeons score and %AGP-METs) increased the c-statistic from 0.65 to 0.69 and 0.75, respectively, both P<0.001); findings were similar in the subgroup of patients who underwent aortic valve replacement. In asymptomatic patients with severe aortic stenosis undergoing treadmill stress echocardiography, LV-GLS and ZVa offer incremental prognostic value.

Huded CP ，Masri A ，Kusunose K ，Goodman AL ，Grimm RA ，Gillinov AM ，Johnston DR ，Rodriguez LL ，Popovic ZB ，Svensson LG ，Griffin BP ，Desai MY ... -  《Journal of the American Heart Association》