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Background: Assessing right ventricular (RV) function is paramount for risk stratification, which remains challenging in patients with tricuspid regurgitation (TR). We assessed RV-pulmonary artery (PA) coupling and its predictability of outcomes after transcatheter tricuspid valve repair (TTVR)., Methods: Study participants comprised patients undergoing transcatheter tricuspid valve repair to treat symptomatic TR from June 2015 to July 2021. We calculated an RV-PA coupling ratio using a formula, which is dividing tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) by echocardiographically estimated (ePASP) or invasively measured PASP (iPASP) at baseline. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality or heart failure rehospitalization within one year., Results: The study participants (n = 206) were at high surgical risk (EuroSCORE II: 7.4 ± 4.8%). The primary outcome occurred in 57 patients within one year. The c-statistics for the outcome were 0.565 (95% CI 0.488-0.643) for TAPSE/ePASP and 0.695 (95% CI 0.631-0.759) for TAPSE/iPASP. The correlation between the ePASP and iPASP was attenuated in patients with massive/torrential TR compared to those with severe TR (interaction p = 0.01). In the multivariable Cox proportional model, TAPSE/iPASP was inversely associated with the risk of the primary outcome (per 0.1-point increase: adjusted-HR 0.67, 95% CI 0.56-0.82, p < 0.001), independent of baseline demographics. According to the TAPSE/iPASP quartiles (i.e., ≤ 0.316; 0.317-0.407; 0.408-0.526; ≥ 0.527), the event-free survival was 43.4%, 48.3%, 77.9%, and 85.4% at one year after TTVR., Conclusion: RV-PA coupling predicts one-year mortality and heart failure rehospitalization after TTVR in patients with TR. The predictability is improved if invasively-measured PA pressure is included., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Purpose: The relationship between chronic heart failure and sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) has been frequently described. However, little is known about the association of mitral regurgitation (MR) and SDB or the impact of transcatheter mitral valve repair (TMVR) on SDB. Our aims were first to determine the prevalence of SDB in patients with MR, and second to determine the effect of TMVR on SDB., Methods: Patients with MR being evaluated for TMVR at the University Hospital Bonn underwent polygraphy (PG) to determine the prevalence of SDB. After TMVR, a subset of patients was followed up with transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and PG to evaluate the effect of TMVR on SDB., Results: In 53 patients, mean age was 76.0 ± 8.5 years and 62% were male. Patients predominantly had more than moderate mitral regurgitation (94%). SDB was highly prevalent (68%) with predominantly central sleep apnoea (CSA, 67%). After TMVR in 15 patients, the apnoea/hypopnoea index (AHI) and central apnoea index (AI) were significantly reduced among patients with SDB (AHI - 8.0/h, p = 0.021; central AI - 6.9/h, p = 0.046). The left atrial volume index (LAVI) at baseline was significantly higher in patients with CSA than in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) and was significantly reduced after TMVR (63.5 ml/m 2  ± 27.2 vs. 38.3 ml/m 2  ± 13.0; - 18.4 ml/m 2 , p = 0.027)., Conclusion: SDB, especially CSA, is highly prevalent in patients with mitral regurgitation. In the follow-up cohort TMVR led to a significant reduction of the AHI, predominantly of central events. The findings of the study suggest that TMVR may be a suitable therapy not only for MR but also for the accompanying CSA. LAVI may be a useful indicator for CSA in patients with MR., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

BACKGROUND: We assessed the safety profile of tricuspid transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) in patients with right ventricular (RV) dysfunction. METHODS: We identified patients undergoing TEER to treat tricuspid regurgitation from June 2015 to October 2021 and assessed tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) and RV fractional area change (RVFAC). RV dysfunction was defined as TAPSE <17 mm and RVFAC <35%. The primary end point was 30-day mortality after TEER. We also investigated the change in the RV function in the early phase and clinical outcomes at 2 years. RESULTS: The study participants (n=262) were at high surgical risk (EuroSCORE II, 6.2% [interquartile range, 4.0%–10.3%]). Among them, 44 patients met the criteria of RV dysfunction. Thirty-day mortality was 3.2% in patients with normal RV function and 2.3% in patients with RV dysfunction (P=0.99). Tricuspid regurgitation reduction to ≤2+ was consistently achieved irrespective of RV dysfunction (76.5% versus 70.5%; P=0.44). TAPSE and RVFAC declined after TEER in patients with normal RV function (TAPSE, 19.0±4.7 to 17.9±4.5 mm; P=0.001; RVFAC, 46.2%±8.1% to 40.3%±9.7%; P<0.001). In contrast, those parameters were unchanged or tended to increase in patients with RV dysfunction (TAPSE, 13.2±2.3 to 15.3±4.7 mm; P=0.011; RVFAC, 29.6%±4.1% to 31.6%±8.3%; P=0.14). Two years after TEER, compared with patients with normal RV function, patients with RV dysfunction had significantly higher mortality (27.0% versus 56.3%; P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: TEER was safe and feasible to treat tricuspid regurgitation in patients with RV dysfunction. The decline in the RV function was observed in patients with normal RV function but not in patients with RV dysfunction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Prognostic impact of post‐procedural changes in right ventricular (RV) function after tricuspid transcatheter edge‐to‐edge repair (T‐TEER) is still unclear. We investigated association of RV function and its post‐procedural changes with clinical outcomes in patients undergoing T‐TEER. Methods and results: We retrospectively analysed 204 patients who underwent T‐TEER and echocardiographic follow‐up at 3 months after T‐TEER. RV function was assessed by RV fractional area change (RVFAC), and RV dysfunction was defined as RVFAC <35%. Patients with an increase in RVFAC from baseline to the follow‐up were considered as RV responders. Patients were divided into four groups according to baseline RVFAC and the RV responder. The primary outcome was a composite of mortality and hospitalization due to heart failure within 1 year. Forty‐five of 204 patients (22.1%) had RVFAC <35% at baseline, and 71 (34.8%) were RV responders. The association between the RV responder and the composite outcome had a significant interaction with RVFAC at baseline. Among patients with baseline RVFAC <35%, RV responders had a lower risk of the composite outcome than RV non‐responders, while this association was not significant in those with baseline RVFAC ≥35%. Among patients with baseline RVFAC <35%, a smaller RV diameter and a greater reduction of tricuspid regurgitation were predictors for the RV responder. Conclusion: Post‐procedural increase in RVFAC after T‐TEER is associated with improved outcomes in patients with RV dysfunction. The factors related to the increase in RVFAC may support patient selection for T‐TEER in patients with RV dysfunction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Before the development of transcatheter interventions, patients with mitral regurgitation (MR) and high surgical risk were often conservatively treated and subject to poor prognoses. We aimed to assess the therapeutic approaches and outcomes in the contemporary era. The study participants were consecutive high-risk MR patients from April 2019 to October 2021. Among the 305 patients analyzed, 274 (89.8%) underwent mitral valve interventions, whereas 31 (10.2%) received medical therapy alone. Of the interventions, transcatheter edge-to-edge mitral repair (TEER) was the most frequent (82.0% of overall), followed by transcatheter mitral valve replacement (TMVR) (4.6%). In patients treated with medical therapy alone, non-optimal morphologies for TEER and TMVR were shown in 87.1% and 65.0%, respectively. Patients undergoing mitral valve interventions experienced less frequent heart failure (HF) rehospitalization compared to those with medical therapy alone (18.2% vs. 42.0%, p < 0.01). Mitral valve intervention was associated with a lower risk of HF rehospitalization (HR 0.36 [0.18–0.74]) and an improved New York Heart Association class (p < 0.01). Most high-risk MR patients can be treated with mitral valve interventions. However, approximately 10% remained on medical therapy alone and were considered as unsuitable for current transcatheter technologies. Mitral valve intervention was associated with a lower risk of HF rehospitalization and improved functional status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatorenal dysfunction is a strong risk factor in patients with heart failure (HF). We investigated the prognostic significance of hepatorenal dysfunction in 172 consecutive patients undergoing transcatheter tricuspid valve repair (TTVR). The model for end-stage liver disease excluding international normalized ratio (MELD-XI) score was calculated as 5.11 × ln(serum total bilirubin [mg/dl]) + 11.76 × ln(serum creatinine [mg/dl]) + 9.44. Patients were stratified into two groups: high (≥ 14) or low (< 14) MELD-XI score, according to the best cut-off value to predict a one-year composite outcome consisting of all-cause mortality and HF hospitalization. Compared to patients with low MELD-XI score (n = 121), patients with high MELD-XI score (n = 51) had a higher incidence of the composite outcome (47.1% vs. 17.4%; p < 0.0001). In the multivariable analysis, the MELD-XI score was an independent predictor of the composite outcome (adjusted hazard ratio: 1.12; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.05–1.19; p = 0.0003). In addition, post-procedural TR < 3 + after TTVR was independently associated with a reduction in MELD-XI score six months after TTVR (adjusted odds ratio: 3.37; 95% CI 1.09–10.40; p = 0.03). Thus, the MELD-XI score was associated with the risk of one-year composite outcome, consisting of mortality and HF hospitalization, after TTVR and may help the risk stratification in patients undergoing TTVR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]