Top ten risk factors for morbidity and mortality in patients with chronic systolic heart failure and elevated heart rate: The SHIFT Risk Model

AIMS

We identified easily obtained baseline characteristics associated with outcomes in patients with chronic heart failure (HF) and elevated heart rate (HR) receiving contemporary guideline-recommended therapy in the SHIFT trial, and used them to develop a prognostic model.

METHODS

We selected the 10 best predictors for each of four outcomes (cardiovascular death or HF hospitalisation; all-cause mortality; cardiovascular mortality; and HF hospitalisation). All variables with p<0.05 for association were entered into a forward stepwise Cox regression model. Our initial analysis excluded baseline therapies, though randomisation to ivabradine or placebo was forced into the model for the composite endpoint and HF hospitalisation.

RESULTS

Increased resting HR, low ejection fraction, raised creatinine, New York Heart Association class III/IV, longer duration of HF, history of left bundle branch block, low systolic blood pressure and, for three models, age were strong predictors of all outcomes. Additional predictors were low body mass index, male gender, ischaemic HF, low total cholesterol, no history of hyperlipidaemia or dyslipidaemia and presence of atrial fibrillation/flutter. The c-statistics for the four outcomes ranged from 67.6% to 69.5%. There was no evidence for lack of fit of the models with the exception of all-cause mortality (p=0.017). Similar results were found including baseline therapies.

CONCLUSION

The SHIFT Risk Model includes simple, readily obtainable clinical characteristics to produce important prognostic information in patients with chronic HF, systolic dysfunction, and elevated HR. This may help better calibrate management to individual patient risk.

Effect of ivabradine on numbers needed to treat for the prevention of recurrent hospitalizations in heart failure patients

BACKGROUND

Ivabradine, a specific heart rate lowering agent, was shown in the SHIFT study to reduce time to first hospitalization for worsening heart failure (HF) in chronic systolic HF patients and also to reduce recurrent/total hospitalizations over the study interval. We assessed the effects of adding ivabradine in patients with systolic HF on the number needed to treat (NNT) to reduce recurrent hospitalizations.

METHODS

The SHIFT trial included 6505 patients with symptomatic HF (NYHA II-IV), left ventricular ejection fraction ≤35% and heart rate ≥70 bpm in sinus rhythm. Patients were randomized to either ivabradine or placebo in addition to guidelines-based drug therapy. The times to first hospitalization were analyzed using a univariate Cox proportional-hazards model; the associated NNT was calculated using Kaplan-Meier estimates of the time-to-event curves at 1 year in each treatment arm. Recurrent hospitalizations were analyzed using a negative binomial and the estimated annual event rates used to calculate the associated patient-time NNTs respectively.

RESULTS

The estimated NNT (number needed to initiate treatment with ivabradine to prevent one first HF hospitalization within 1 year) was 27 (estimated hazard ratio: 0.75, P < 0.0001). For recurrent HF hospitalizations, one event would be prevented on average per 14 patient-years for any year of follow-up over the course of SHIFT (estimated rate ratio: 0.71, P < 0.0001). A key limitation of this analysis is that it did not account for a relationship between recurrent HF hospitalizations and subsequent mortality.

CONCLUSION

In chronic systolic HF the effect of ivabradine on reducing recurrent HF hospitalizations results in a lower NNT compared to the effect on the time for first hospitalization. The effect of ivabradine on recurrent hospitalizations, in addition to first events, may be a more appropriate measure when considering the impact of a treatment with ivabradine on healthcare resource utilization.

Relation of indirect vasodilator use to prognosis in patients with chronic severe mitral regurgitation

OBJECTIVES

The relation of indirect vasodilator use to cardiac events (CE) is undefined for chronic severe nonischemic mitral regurgitation (MR). The aim of this study was to resolve this knowledge deficiency.

METHODS

Data from 52 consecutive patients in our prospective natural history study with isolated chronic severe nonischemic MR were assessed post hoc over 19 years to examine the relation of indirect vasodilator use to subsequent CE (death or indications for valve surgery). At entry, no patient had surgical indications, 14% had hypertension (HTN) and 7 chronically received vasodilators (5 angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, 1 receptor blocker and 1 α-adrenergic blocker). CE differences were assessed by log-rank comparison of Kaplan-Meier curves.

RESULTS

During follow-up, CE included sudden death (1 patient), heart failure (7 patients), atrial fibrillation (6 patients), left ventricular (LV) systolic dimension >4.5 cm (12 patients), LV ejection fraction (EF) <60% (7 patients), right ventricular EF <35% (2 patients) and combination CE (7 patients). Overall, vasodilator use did not predict CE (not significant). However, patients without HTN had higher CE rates with vasodilators than without (p = 0.007), while those with HTN and vasodilators had lower CE rates than those without vasodilators (p = 0.04).

CONCLUSION

Vasodilator use appears to confer no survival benefit in patients with chronic severe MR. The small number of patients with HTN precludes conclusions about modulation of vasodilator effect by HTN. Randomized trials are needed to conclusively evaluate this association.

Role of oral factor Xa inhibitors after acute coronary syndrome

Despite an early invasive strategy and the use of dual antiplatelet therapy, patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) continue to be at substantial risk for recurrent ischemic events. It is believed that this risk is, at least in part, due to an intrinsic coagulation pathway that remains activated for a prolonged period after ACS. Earlier studies using warfarin showed a reduction in ischemic events, but the overall benefits were offset by increased bleeding complications. Recently, there has been increased interest in the potential role of new oral anticoagulants, some of which target factor Xa, after ACS. Factor Xa is important for the coagulation pathway and also plays a role in cellular proliferation and inflammation. It may thus be an attractive target for therapeutic intervention in ACS. Recently, various oral factor Xa inhibitors have been studied as potential treatment options for ACS. This review will focus on currently available data to evaluate the possible role of factor Xa inhibitors in the management of patients with ACS.

Clinical evaluation of new heart valve prostheses: update of objective performance criteria

This article summarizes the long-term clinical results of the Food and Drug Administration-approved heart valves, provides current updates to the objective performance criteria (OPC) used to evaluate new heart valve prostheses, and documents the steps that the International Organization for Standardization Committee used to arrive at the updated OPC. Data were extracted from 19 Food and Drug Administration summaries of safety and effectiveness data reports (31 series) and 56 literature articles (85 series) published from 1999 to 2012. The OPC were calculated for five valve-related complications by valve type (mechanical and bioprosthetic) and valve position (aortic and mitral).

Efficacy and safety of ivabradine in patients with chronic systolic heart failure according to blood pressure level in SHIFT

AIMS

Low systolic blood pressure (SBP) is associated with poor outcomes in heart failure and complicates management. In a post hoc analysis, we investigated the efficacy and safety of ivabradine in the SHIFT population divided by tertiles of baseline SBP.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The analysis comprised 2110 patients with SBP <115 mmHg, 1968 with 115≤ SBP <130 mmHg, and 2427 with SBP ≥130 mmHg. Patients with low SBP were younger, had lower ejection fraction, and were less likely to be at target beta-blocker dose than patients in the other SBP groups. Ivabradine was associated with a similar relative risk reduction of the composite outcome in the three SBP groups [SBP <115 mmHg, hazard ratio (HR) = 0.84, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.72-0.98; 115≤ SBP <130 mmHg, HR = 0.86, 95% CI 0.72 to 1.03; SBP ≥130 mmHg, HR = 0.77, 95% CI 0.66 to 0.92; P interaction = 0.68]. Similar results were found for cardiovascular mortality (P interaction = 0.91), hospitalization because of heart failure (P interaction = 0.79), all-cause mortality (P interaction = 0.90), and heart failure mortality (P interaction = 0.18). There was no evidence for a difference in safety profile according to SBP group.

CONCLUSION

The efficacy and safety of ivabradine is independent of SBP. This may have implications for the management of HF patients with low SBP and elevated heart rate.

Risk of atrial fibrillation with use of oral and intravenous bisphosphonates

Clinical studies suggest an association between bisphosphonate use and new-onset atrial fibrillation (AF). Intravenous bisphosphonates more potently increase the release of inflammatory cytokines than do oral bisphosphonates; thus, the risk of developing AF may be greater with intravenous preparations. We have evaluated incidence of new-onset AF with use of oral and intravenous bisphosphonates through a systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature. We searched PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Scopus, and EMBASE databases for observational studies and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published from 1966 to April 2013 that reported the number of patients developing AF with use of oral or intravenous bisphosphonates. The random-effects Mantel-Haenszel test was used to evaluate the relative risk of AF with use of oral and intravenous bisphosphonates. Nine studies (5 RCTs and 4 observational studies) were included in the final analysis. Pooled data from RCTs and observational studies (n = 135,347) showed a statistically significantly increased risk of new-onset AF with both intravenous (relative risk 1.40, 95% confidence interval 1.32 to 1.49) and oral (relative risk 1.22, 95% confidence interval 1.14 to 1.31) bisphosphonates. The z statistic, which assesses the difference between the 2 risk ratios, indicated higher risk of AF with intravenous bisphosphonates versus oral bisphosphonates (p = 0.03). In conclusion, pooled data from RCTs and observational studies suggest that risk of AF is increased by use of oral or intravenous bisphosphonates but further suggest that risk is relatively greater with intravenous preparations.

Ischaemic cardiac events and use of strontium ranelate in postmenopausal osteoporosis: a nested case-control study in the CPRD

We explored the cardiac safety of the osteoporosis treatment strontium ranelate in the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink. While known cardiovascular risk factors like obesity and smoking were associated with increased cardiac risk, use of strontium ranelate was not associated with any increase in myocardial infarction or cardiovascular death.

INTRODUCTION

It has been suggested that strontium ranelate may increase risk for cardiac events in postmenopausal osteoporosis. We set out to explore the cardiac safety of strontium ranelate in the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) and linked datasets.

METHODS

We performed a nested case-control study. Primary outcomes were first definite myocardial infarction, hospitalisation with myocardial infarction, and cardiovascular death. Cases and matched controls were nested in a cohort of women treated for osteoporosis. The association with exposure to strontium ranelate was analysed by multivariate conditional logistic regression.

RESULTS

Of the 112,445 women with treated postmenopausal osteoporosis, 6,487 received strontium ranelate. Annual incidence rates for first definite myocardial infarction (1,352 cases), myocardial infarction with hospitalisation (1,465 cases), and cardiovascular death (3,619 cases) were 3.24, 6.13, and 14.66 per 1,000 patient-years, respectively. Obesity, smoking, and cardiovascular treatments were associated with significant increases in risk for cardiac events. Current or past use of strontium ranelate was not associated with increased risk for first definite myocardial infarction (odds ratio [OR] 1.05, 95 % confidence interval [CI] 0.68-1.61 and OR 1.12, 95 % CI 0.79-1.58, respectively), hospitalisation with myocardial infarction (OR 0.84, 95 % CI 0.54-1.30 and OR 1.17, 95 % CI 0.83-1.66), or cardiovascular death (OR 0.96, 95 % CI 0.76-1.21 and OR 1.16, 95 % CI 0.94-1.43) versus patients who had never used strontium ranelate.

CONCLUSIONS

Analysis in the CPRD did not find evidence for a higher risk for cardiac events associated with the use of strontium ranelate in postmenopausal osteoporosis.

Efficacy and safety of ivabradine in patients with severe chronic systolic heart failure (from the SHIFT study)

A post hoc analysis of Systolic Heart failure treatment with the If inhibitor ivabradine Trial (SHIFT) explored the efficacy and safety of ivabradine in severe heart failure (HF) as denoted by left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≤20% and/or New York Heart Association (NYHA) class IV. The SHIFT population (LVEF ≤35%, heart rate ≥70 beats/min, and sinus rhythm) comprised 712 patients with severe (defined previously) and 5,973 with less severe (NYHA classes II or III and LVEF >20%) HF, all randomized to ivabradine or placebo on a background of guideline-defined standard care. The rate of primary composite end point of cardiovascular death or HF hospitalization with placebo was higher in severe (42%) than less severe (27%) HF (p <0.001). Treatment with ivabradine in severe HF was associated with relative risk reductions indistinguishable from those of less severe disease for the primary end point (16% reduction), all-cause death (22%), cardiovascular death (22%), HF death (37%), and HF hospitalization (17%; all p values for interaction: NS). NYHA class improved in 38% (n = 129) ivabradine-treated patients with severe HF versus 29% (n = 104) placebo-treated patients (p = 0.009). In the 272 patients with severe HF and baseline heart rate ≥75 beats/min (the indication approved by the European Medicines Agency), ivabradine reduced the primary end point by 25% (p = 0.045), HF hospitalization by 30% (p = 0.042), and cardiovascular death by 32% (p = 0.034). Ivabradine's safety profile in severe HF was indistinguishable from less severe. In conclusion, our analysis confirms that heart rate reduction with ivabradine can be safely used in severe HF and may improve clinical outcomes independently of disease severity.

Heart rate: a prognostic factor and therapeutic target in chronic heart failure. The distinct roles of drugs with heart rate-lowering properties

Heart rate not only predicts outcome but may also be a therapeutic target in patients with chronic heart failure. Several classes of pharmacological agents can be used to modulate heart rate, including beta-blockers, ivabradine, digoxin, amiodarone, and verapamil. Choice of agent will depend on heart rhythm, co-morbidities, and disease phenotype. Beneficial and harmful interactions may also exist. The aim of this paper is to summarize the current body of knowledge regarding the relevance of heart rate as a prognostic factor (risk marker) and particularly as a therapeutic target (risk factor) in patients with chronic heart failure, with a special focus on ivabradine, a novel agent that is currently the only available purely bradycardic agent.

Clinical profiles and outcomes in patients with chronic heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: an efficacy and safety analysis of SHIFT study

BACKGROUND

Heart failure (HF) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) frequently coexist, with undefined prognostic and therapeutic implications. We investigated clinical profile and outcomes of patients with chronic HF and COPD, notably the efficacy and safety of ivabradine, a heart rate-reducing agent.

METHODS

6505 ambulatory patients, in sinus rhythm, heart rate ≥ 70 bpm and stable systolic HF were randomised to placebo or ivabradine (2.5 to 7.5mg bid). Multivariate Cox model analyses were performed to compare the COPD (n=730) and non-COPD subgroups, and the ivabradine and placebo treatment effects.

RESULTS

COPD patients were older and had a poorer risk profile. Beta-blockers were prescribed to 69% of COPD patients and 92% of non-COPD patients. The primary endpoint (PEP) and its component, hospitalisation for worsening HF, were more frequent in COPD patients (HRs f, 1.22 [p=0.006]; and 1.34 [p<0.001]) respectively, but relative risk was reduced similarly by ivabradine in both COPD (14%, and 17%) and non-COPD (18% and 27%) patients (p interaction=0.82, and 0.53, respectively). Similar effect was noted also for cardiovascular death. Adverse events were more common in COPD patients, but similar in treatment subgroups. Bradycardia occurred more frequently in ivabradine subgroups, with similar incidence in patients with or without COPD.

CONCLUSIONS

The association of COPD and HF results in a worse prognosis, and COPD represents a barrier to optimisation of beta-blocker therapy. Ivabradine is similarly effective and safe in chronic HF patients with or without COPD, and can be safely combined with beta-blockers in COPD.

Cardiac-resynchronization therapy in heart failure with a narrow QRS complex

BACKGROUND

Cardiac-resynchronization therapy (CRT) reduces morbidity and mortality in chronic systolic heart failure with a wide QRS complex. Mechanical dyssynchrony also occurs in patients with a narrow QRS complex, which suggests the potential usefulness of CRT in such patients.

METHODS

We conducted a randomized trial involving 115 centers to evaluate the effect of CRT in patients with New York Heart Association class III or IV heart failure, a left ventricular ejection fraction of 35% or less, a QRS duration of less than 130 msec, and echocardiographic evidence of left ventricular dyssynchrony. All patients underwent device implantation and were randomly assigned to have CRT capability turned on or off. The primary efficacy outcome was the composite of death from any cause or first hospitalization for worsening heart failure.

RESULTS

On March 13, 2013, the study was stopped for futility on the recommendation of the data and safety monitoring board. At study closure, the 809 patients who had undergone randomization had been followed for a mean of 19.4 months. The primary outcome occurred in 116 of 404 patients in the CRT group, as compared with 102 of 405 in the control group (28.7% vs. 25.2%; hazard ratio, 1.20; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.92 to 1.57; P=0.15). There were 45 deaths in the CRT group and 26 in the control group (11.1% vs. 6.4%; hazard ratio, 1.81; 95% CI, 1.11 to 2.93; P=0.02).

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with systolic heart failure and a QRS duration of less than 130 msec, CRT does not reduce the rate of death or hospitalization for heart failure and may increase mortality. (Funded by Biotronik and GE Healthcare; EchoCRT ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00683696.).

Efficacy and safety of ivabradine in chronic heart failure across the age spectrum: insights from the SHIFT study

AIMS

To test whether the efficacy and safety of the selective heart rate-reducing agent ivabradine changes according to age in chronic heart failure (HF) patients.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The ivabradine and placebo arms of SHIFT, which enrolled 6505 chronic HF patients, were combined and age distribution was divided by quartiles to give four groups (<53 years, n = 1522; 53 to <60 years, n = 1521; 60 to <69 years, n = 1750; and ≥69 years, n = 1712). The effects of ivabradine on cardiovascular outcomes, changes in heart rate, and adverse events, particularly bradycardia, were evaluated according to age group. A subgroup (602 patients) underwent 24 h ambulatory ECG Holter monitoring. The relative risk of the primary endpoint (cardiovascular death or hospitalization for worsening HF) was reduced by ivabradine in all age groups, ranging from 38% [hazard ratio (HR) 0.62, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.50-0.78, P < 0.001] in the youngest patients <53 years to 16% (HR 0.84, 95% CI 0.71-0.99, P = 0.035) in the oldest patients ≥69 years. Ivabradine up-titration reduced heart rate similarly in all age groups, by 11 b.p.m. As anticipated, bradycardia and phosphenes occurred more frequently with ivabradine, at a similar rate whatever the age. In the Holter substudy, there were no episodes of severe bradycardia and no clinically relevant pauses with ivabradine in any age group.

CONCLUSIONS

Age does not limit the appropriate use of ivabradine in patients with chronic HF and systolic dysfunction. The safety and efficacy of ivabradine are comparable across all age groups.

Off-pump versus on-pump coronary artery bypass grafting in octogenarians: comparison of short-term outcomes and long-term survival

Off-pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB) has gained increasing acceptance with potential benefits for high-risk elderly patients. We report a surgeon's operative outcomes in octogenarians with an OPCAB program. Retrospective, intention-to-treat analysis of 97 consecutive octogenarians who underwent coronary bypass by a single surgeon between 1997 and 2001 before and after initiation of a multi-vessel OPCAB program was performed. OPCAB was attempted in all octogenarians. The OPCAB cohort had higher serum creatinine (OPCAB vs. pre-OPCAB: 1.30 ± 0.79 mg/dl vs. 1.08 ± 0.27, p = 0.04) and ejection fractions (52 ± 14% vs. 45 ± 11%, p = 0.02) than the pre-OPCAB cohort. The OPCAB group was more likely to require urgent/emergency surgery (63 vs. 40%, p = 0.04) and to have chronic renal insufficiency (18 vs. 3%, p = 0.05). After programmatic change to OPCAB, significant postoperative improvements were observed in the length of hospital stay (17 ± 19 vs. 8 ± 4 days, p < 0.01), duration of inotropic requirement (47 ± 70 vs. 18 ± 39 h, p < 0.04), duration of ventilator support (51 ± 54 vs. 16 ± 27 h, p < 0.01) and incidence of tracheostomy (16 vs. 3%, p < 0.02). In-hospital mortalities (3.2 vs. 2.7%), strokes (3 per group) and 5-year survival did not differ significantly (57 vs. 67%, p = 0.50, NS). Despite some higher preoperative risks, the OPCAB program demonstrated clinical benefits in octogenarians but no advantage in hospital-mortality or long-term survival.

Effect of ivabradine in patients with left-ventricular systolic dysfunction: a pooled analysis of individual patient data from the BEAUTIFUL and SHIFT trials

AIMS

To test the effect of ivabradine on the outcomes in a broad population with left-ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction with coronary artery disease (CAD) and/or heart failure (HF).

METHODS AND RESULTS

Individual trial data from BEAUTIFUL and SHIFT were pooled to evaluate the effect of ivabradine on the outcomes in patients with LV dysfunction and heart rate ≥ 70 b.p.m. The pooled population (n = 11 897; baseline age 62.3 ± 10.4 years, heart rate 79.6 ± 9.2 b.p.m., and LV ejection fraction 30.3 ± 5.6%) was well treated according to current recommendations (87% beta-blockers, 90% renin-angiotensin system inhibitors). Median follow-up was 21 months. Treatment with ivabradine was associated with a 13% relative risk reduction for the composite of cardiovascular mortality or HF hospitalization (P < 0.001 vs. placebo); this was driven by HF hospitalizations (19%, P < 0.001). There were also significant relative risk reductions for the composite of cardiovascular mortality, HF hospitalizations, or myocardial infarction (MI) hospitalization (15%, P < 0.001); cardiovascular mortality and non-fatal MI (10%, P = 0.023); and MI hospitalization (23%, P = 0.009). Similar results were found in patients with differing clinical profiles. Ivabradine was well tolerated.

CONCLUSION

Ivabradine may be important for the improvement of clinical outcomes in patients with LV systolic dysfunction and heart rate ≥ 70 b.p.m., whatever the primary clinical presentation (CAD or HF) or clinical status (NYHA class).

Risk following hospitalization in stable chronic systolic heart failure

AIMS

We explored the impact of being hospitalized due to worsening heart failure (WHF) or a myocardial infarction (MI) on subsequent mortality in a large contemporary data set of patients with stable chronic systolic heart failure (HF).

METHODS AND RESULTS

A total of 6558 patients with stable systolic HF, 6505 with analysable data, with an EF of ≤35%, who were included in the Systolic Heart failure treatment with the If inhibitor ivabradine Trial (SHIFT), were followed for a median of 22.9 months with respect to hospitalizations and vital status. Among the 1288 patients who had at least one hospitalization due to WHF or MI, 455 (35.3%) died during follow-up compared with 600 (11.5%) among patients not hospitalized for these reasons. The risk for death was highest in the early phase after hospitalization. The risk declined rapidly during the first month but remained 3.5-fold (95% confidence interval 2.3-5.1) increased at 18 months after a first WHF hospitalization and 8.8-fold (95% confidence interval 3.6-21.6) increased at 18 months after a first MI hospitalization.

CONCLUSION

The present study confirms previous findings that in patients with stable chronic systolic HF, a hospitalization for WHF or MI is associated with substantially increased risk for subsequent death even with contemporary extensive background pharmacological therapy. The risk is most pronounced in the early phase of hospitalization but remains elevated even after 18 months. Preventing HF hospitalization appears as an important therapeutic objective in such patients, and a hospitalization for WHF or MI should lead to a careful therapeutic reassessment.

Nonischemic mitral regurgitation: prognostic value of nonsustained ventricular tachycardia after mitral valve surgery

BACKGROUND

Nonsustained ventricular tachycardia (VT), frequent in unoperated severe mitral regurgitation (MR), confers mortality risk [sudden death (SD) and cardiac death (CD)]. The prognostic value of VT after mitral valve surgery (MVS) is unknown; we aimed to define this prognostic value and to assess its modulation by left (LV) and/or right (RV) ventricular ejection fraction (EF) for mortality after MVS.

METHODS

In 57 patients (53% females, aged 58 ± 12 years) with severe MR prospectively followed before and after MVS, we performed 24-hour ambulatory electrocardiograms approximately annually. LVEF and RVEF were determined within 1 year after MVS by radionuclide cineangiography.

RESULTS

During 9.52 ± 3.49 endpoint-free follow-up years, late postoperative CD occurred in 11 patients (7 SD, 4 heart failures). In univariable analysis, >1 VT episode after MVS predicted SD (p < 0.01) and CD (SD or heart failure; p < 0.04). Subnormal postoperative RVEF predicted CD (p < 0.04). When adjusted for preoperative age, gender, etiology or antiarrhythmics, both postoperative VT and RVEF predicted CD (p ≤ 0.05). When postoperative VT and RVEF were both in the multivariable model, only subnormal RVEF predicted CD (p < 0.04). Among those with normal RVEF, VT >1 episode predicted SD (p = 0.03).

CONCLUSION

Postoperative VT and subnormal RVEF predict late postoperative deaths in nonischemic MR. Their assessment may aid patient management.