Impact of gender on outcomes after transcatheter aortic valve implantation

Elevated systolic pulmonary artery pressure is a substantial predictor of increased mortality after transcatheter aortic valve replacement in males, not in females

BACKGROUND

While pulmonary hypertension (PH) in patients with severe aortic valve stenosis (AS) is associated with increased mortality after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), there is limited data on gender differences in the effects on long-term survival.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this retrospective, multicenter study was to investigate the prognostic impact of pre-interventional PH on survival of TAVR patients with respect to gender.

METHODS

303 patients undergoing TAVR underwent echocardiography to detect PH prior to TAVR via measurement of systolic pulmonary artery pressure (sPAP). Different cut-off values were set for the presence of PH. The primary endpoint was all-cause mortality at 1, 3 and 5 years.

RESULTS

Kaplan-Meier analysis by gender showed that only males exhibited significant increased mortality at elevated sPAP values during the entire follow-up period of 5 years (sPAP ≥ 40 mmHg: p ≤ 0.001 and sPAP ≥ 50 mmHg: p ≤ 0.001 in 1- to 5-year survival), whereas high sPAP values had no effect on survival in females. In Cox regression analysis based on the selected sPAP thresholds, male gender was an independent risk factor for long-term mortality after TAVR in all time courses.

CONCLUSION

Male gender was an isolated risk factor for premature death after TAVR in patients with echocardiographic evidence of PH and severe AS. This could mean that, the indication for TAVR should be discussed more critically in men with severe AS and an elevated sPAP, while in females, PH should not be an exclusion criterion for TAVR.

Long-Term Prognosis and Predictors of Mortality in Patients Undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement: A Retrospective Analysis

BACKGROUND

Aortic valve disease is a common and impactful disorder that imposes significant health burdens and is associated with increased mortality rates. Particularly noteworthy is the emergence of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), a minimally invasive procedure that has revolutionized the management of aortic valve disease. However, there remain certain unresolved questions and ongoing research regarding the long-term effectiveness and suitability of TAVR in various patient populations, underscoring the need for further investigation and clinical scrutiny.

OBJECTIVE

This retrospective analysis aimed to investigate the long-term outcomes and predictors of mortality in 500 patients who underwent transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).

METHODS

This retrospective analysis included individuals who received transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) at Sri Venkata Sai (SVS) Medical College, Mahabubnagar, Telangana, India, between January 2020 and July 2023. Demographic characteristics, including age, gender, and comorbidities, were recorded, and long-term outcomes after TAVR were assessed, including the incidence of survival rates and major adverse cardiac events (MACE). Predictors of mortality were also identified using Cox proportional hazards regression analysis.

RESULTS

The study group exhibited an average age of 75.6 years (standard deviation (SD): 6.8), with 58% male and 42% female patients. Hypertension (74%), coronary artery disease (CAD) (68%), diabetes mellitus (DM) (42%), and chronic kidney disease (CKD) stage ≥ 3 (36%) were prevalent comorbidities. The median follow-up duration was 5.2 years (interquartile range (IQR): 4.3-6.8 years). The overall long-term survival rate after TAVR was 73.5% (95% confidence interval (CI): 69.8%-77.1%). Additionally, MACE occurred in 21% of patients throughout the follow-up period. The cumulative incidence of MACE at one year, three years, and five years was 6.8% (95% CI: 4.2%-9.5%), 14.2% (95% CI: 10.6%-18.7%), and 21.8% (95% CI: 17.3%-26.7%), respectively. The study found that higher age (hazard ratio (HR): 1.08, 95% CI: 1.04-1.12, p < 0.001), male gender (HR: 1.48, 95% CI: 1.15-1.91, p = 0.002), and the presence of CAD (HR: 1.72, 95% CI: 1.29-2.30, p < 0.001) were linked to an elevated risk of mortality. Additionally, diabetes mellitus (HR: 1.39, 95% CI: 1.05-1.85, p = 0.022) and CKD stage ≥ 3 (HR: 1.96, 95% CI: 1.47-2.61, p < 0.001) emerged as notable predictors of mortality. Conversely, a history of prior coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) (HR: 0.62, 95% CI: 0.46-0.84, p = 0.003) was associated with a reduced risk of mortality. No significant associations were found between mortality and hypertension (HR: 1.12, 95% CI: 0.88-1.43, p = 0.360) or prior percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) (HR: 1.21, 95% CI: 0.88-1.67, p = 0.245).

CONCLUSION

Age, male gender, CAD, DM, and CKD stage ≥ 3 were significant indicators of mortality risk in TAVR patients. Risk stratification and individualized management are crucial in optimizing long-term outcomes following TAVR procedures.

Sex difference and outcome trends following transcatheter aortic valve replacement

Background

Based on worldwide registries, approximately 50% of patients who underwent transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) are female patients. Although TAVR procedures have improved tremendously in recent years, differences in outcome including mortality between sexes remain. We aimed to investigate the trends in TAVR in the early and new eras of utilization and to assess TAVR outcomes in female patients vs. male patients.

Methods

Using the 2011–2017 National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database, we identified hospitalizations for patients with the diagnosis of aortic stenosis during which a TAVR was performed. Patients' sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, procedure complications, and mortality were analyzed. Piecewise regression analyses were performed to assess temporal trends in TAVR utilization in female patients and in male patients. Multivariable analysis was performed to identify predictors of in-hospital mortality.

Results

A total of 150,647 hospitalizations for TAVR across the United States were analyzed during 2011–2017. During the study period, a steady upward trend was observed for TAVR procedures in both sexes. From 2011 to 2017, there were significantly more TAVR procedures performed in men [80,477 (53.4%)] than in women [70,170 (46.6%)]. Male patients had significantly higher Deyo-CCI score and comorbidities. Differences in mortality rates among sexes were observed, presenting with higher in-hospital mortality in women than in men, OR 1.26 [95% CI 1.18–1.35], p < 0.001.

Conclusion

Utilization of TAVR demonstrated a steady upward trend during 2011–2017, and a similar trend was presented for both sexes. Higher in-hospital mortality was recorded in female patients compared to male patients. Complication rates decreased over the years but without effect on mortality differences between the sex groups.

Microstructural alterations measured by diffusion tensor imaging following transcatheter aortic valve replacement and their association with cerebral ischemic injury and cognitive function - a prospective study

PURPOSE

We assessed diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) metric changes of the corpus callosum and cingulum correlated to postprocedural ischemic lesion load (ILL) and cognitive performance in transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).

METHODS

TAVR subjects had DTI post-TAVR (≤ 8 days) and at 6 months (78 participants, males 56%, age 78.8 years ± 6.3) and four neurocognitive tests (pre-TAVR, post-TAVR, 6 months, 1 year). DTI metrics (fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), axial diffusivity (AD), radial diffusivity (RD)) were calculated for 7 regions: corpus callosum (genu, body, splenium) and cingulum (cingulate gyrus, parahippocampal cingulum bilaterally). DTI metrics post-TAVR and at 6 months were compared with Student's t-test (p < 0.0071) and ANOVA covarying for sex, ILL (p < 0.05) with post hoc analysis of ILL groups (p < 0.0167). Repeated-measures linear mixed-effect model (p < 0.05) was performed to investigate the effect of time and ILL on cognition.

RESULTS

At 6 months, significant decrease of the following DTI metrics was detected: AD (genu, body, splenium, right parahippocampal cingulum: p ≤ 0.0046); MD (body, both cingulate gyri: p ≤ 0.0050); RD (left cingulate gyrus: p = 0.0021); FA (splenium: p < 0.0001). ANOVA confirmed significant effect of female sex on AD + MD reduction (body, right cingulate gyrus) and AD reduction (left cingulate gyrus) (p ≤ 0.0254). Significant negative effect of ILL on some DTI metric changes was found (AD + MD-body: p ≤ 0.0050; MD-left cingulate gyrus: p = 0.0087). Cognitive performance remained stable with significant negative correlation of ILL and retrograde memory and visual scores (p ≤ 0.0483).

CONCLUSION

Significant effect of TAVR on cerebral microstructural integrity was found with reduced diffusivities opposite to the trends reported in various neurodegenerative conditions/ageing, notably in women and lower ILL, and with preserved/improved cognition.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT02826200 at ClinicalTrials.gov; date of registration: 07. July 2016.

Gender Differences after Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR): Insights from the Italian Clinical Service Project

Background: TAVR is a safe alternative to surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR); however, sex-related differences are still debated. This research aimed to examine gender differences in a real-world transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) cohort. Methods: All-comer aortic stenosis (AS) patients undergoing TAVR with a Medtronic valve across 19 Italian sites were prospectively included in the Italian Clinical Service Project (NCT01007474) between 2007 and 2019. The primary endpoint was 1-year mortality. We also investigated 3-year mortality, and ischemic and hemorrhagic endpoints, and we performed a propensity score matching to assemble patients with similar baseline characteristics. Results: Out of 3821 patients, 2149 (56.2%) women were enrolled. Compared with men, women were older (83 ± 6 vs. 81 ± 6 years, p < 0.001), more likely to present severe renal impairment (GFR ≤ 30 mL/min, 26.3% vs. 16.3%, p < 0.001) but had less previous cardiovascular events (all p < 0.001), with a higher mean Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) score (7.8% ± 7.1% vs. 7.2 ± 7.5, p < 0.001) and a greater mean aortic gradient (52.4 ± 15.3 vs. 47.3 ± 12.8 mmHg, p < 0.001). Transfemoral TAVR was performed more frequently in women (87.2% vs. 82.1%, p < 0.001), with a higher rate of major vascular complications and life-threatening bleeding (3.9% vs. 2.4%, p = 0.012 and 2.5% vs. 1.4%, p = 0.024). One-year mortality differed between female and male (11.5% vs. 15.0%, p = 0.002), and this difference persisted after adjustment for significant confounding variables (Adj.HR1yr 1.47, 95%IC 1.18–1.82, p < 0.001). Three-year mortality was also significantly lower in women compared with men (19.8% vs. 24.9%, p < 0.001) even after adjustment for age, STS score, eGFR, diabetes and severe COPD (Adj.HR3yr 1.42, 95%IC 1.21–1.68, p < 0.001). These results were confirmed in 689 pairs after propensity score matching. Conclusion: Despite higher rates of peri-procedural complications, women presented better survival than men. This better adaptive response to TAVR may be driven by sex-specific factors.