Influence of aortic regurgitation after TAVI on left ventricular filling pattern

Association of mild kidney dysfunction with diastolic dysfunction and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction

AIMS

We aim to investigate the association between kidney dysfunction and left ventricular diastolic dysfunction parameters and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and whether this is sex-specific.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We included participants from the HELPFul observational study. Outpatient clinical care data, including echocardiography, and an expert panel judgement on HFpEF was collected. Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was calculated by creatinine and cystatin C without race. The association between eGFR with E/e', left ventricular mass index, relative wall thickness, and stage C/D heart failure was tested by multivariable adjusted regression models, stratified by sex, reporting odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (95% confidence interval). We analysed 880 participants, mean age 62.9 (standard deviation: 9.3) years, 69% female. Four hundred six participants had mild (37.6%) kidney dysfunction (eGFR: 60-89 mL/min/1.73 m2 ) or moderate (8.5%) kidney dysfunction (eGFR: 30-59 mL/min/1.73 m2 ). HFpEF was significantly more prevalent in participants with mild and moderate kidney dysfunction (10.3% and 16.0%, respectively) than participants with normal kidney function (3.4%). A lower kidney function was associated with higher E/e' and higher relative wall thickness values. Participants with moderate kidney dysfunction had a higher likelihood of American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association stage C/D HF (odds ratio: 2.07, 95% confidence interval: 1.23, 3.49) than participants with normal kidney functions.

CONCLUSIONS

Both mild and moderate kidney dysfunction are independently associated with left ventricular diastolic dysfunction parameters and HFpEF. This association is independent of sex and strongest for moderate kidney dysfunction. Considering mild-to-moderate kidney dysfunction as risk factor for HFpEF may help identify high-risk groups benefiting most from early intervention.

Update on the significance of postprocedural aortic regurgitation after transcatheter aortic valve replacement on postprocedural prognosis

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is an established therapy for patients with aortic stenosis and a high surgical risk. Recent data on intermediate-risk patients will probably enlarge the indication for TAVR. In the beginning of the TAVR era, relevant (>mild) aortic regurgitation (AR) was a common finding after TAVR; it was associated with worse outcome compared with patients without significant AR. To date, several improvements in imaging, grading of severity and treatment have been done and will be discussed in this article. AR after TAVR still is a strong and independent predictor of 1-year mortality and every effort should be made to prohibit its development.

The role and clinical implications of diastolic dysfunction in aortic stenosis

Diastolic dysfunction in aortic stenosis results primarily from left ventricular hypertrophy and myocardial fibrosis due to chronically elevated left ventricular systolic pressure. Currently, diastolic dysfunction does not have an explicit clinical role in management of patients with aortic stenosis. Studies have shown that improvement in diastolic dysfunction follows left ventricular remodelling after aortic valve replacement and that it occurs gradually or incompletely. Retrospective studies suggest that advanced grades of diastolic dysfunction at baseline are associated with increased mortality and adverse events even after aortic valve replacement. Recent studies have also associated myocardial fibrosis, a hallmark of diastolic dysfunction, with worse outcomes. In addition, these results were independent of the degree of aortic stenosis or valve replacement. Indirect evidence of the role of diastolic dysfunction in aortic stenosis also comes from paradoxical low-flow, low-gradient aortic stenosis, where disproportionate left ventricular hypertrophy leads to underfilling of the left ventricle, low-flow state and is associated with worse prognosis. Lastly, a limited number of studies suggest that worse diastolic dysfunction at baseline is detrimental in patients who develop aortic regurgitation after transcatheteraortic valve replacement, due to superimposition of volume overload on a stiff left ventricle. Current major limitations in our understanding of the prognostic role of diastolic dysfunction are the lack of universally accepted classification schemes, its dependence on dynamic loading conditions and the lack of larger prospective studies.

Echocardiographic follow-up after transcatheter aortic valve replacement

The use of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) for high-risk patients with aortic stenosis has rapidly increased during the past years. Accordingly, more and more patients are referred for a follow-up echocardiographic study after TAVR. However, the echocardiographic evaluation of patients who underwent TAVR places specific demands on echocardiographers. Furthermore, TAVR may be associated with new types of complications, which are frequently unrecognized or underestimated due to lack of familiarity with the normal and pathological appearance of TAVR. Therefore, this review summarizes the echocardiographic parameters describing the structural and functional status of bioprostheses used in TAVR, procedures taking into account their peculiar hemodynamics. We also describe the strengths and the limitations of echocardiography and of other imaging modalities in detecting long-term complications of TAVR (eg, infective endocarditis, thrombosis). The aim of this review was to serve as a guide for a structured echocardiographic follow-up of TAVR patients, as well as for the echocardiographic diagnosis of the procedure-associated complications.