Left Ventricular Morphology and Function as a Determinant of Pulmonary Hypertension in Patients with Severe Aortic Stenosis: Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study

Abstract

Background and Objectives: The influence of cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) derived left ventricular (LV) parameters on the prognosis of patients with aortic stenosis (AS) was analyzed in several studies. However, the data on the relations between the LV parameters and the development of pulmonary hypertension (PH) in severe AS is lacking. Our objectives were to evaluate the CMR-derived changes of the LV size, morphology, and function in patients with isolated severe AS and PH, and to investigate the prognostic impact of these parameters on elevated systolic pulmonary artery pressure (sPAP). Materials and Methods: Thirty patients with isolated severe AS (aortic valve area ≤1 cm2) underwent a 2D-echocardiography (2D echo) and CMR before aortic valve replacement. Indices of the LV mass and volumes and ejection fraction were analyzed by CMR. The LV global longitudinal (LV LGS) and circumferential strain (LV CS) were calculated using CMR feature tracking (CMR-FT) software (Medis Suite QStrain 2.0, Medis Medical Imaging Systems B.V., Leiden, The Netherlands). The LV fibrosis expansion was assessed using a late gadolinium enhancement sequence. PH was defined as having an estimated sPAP of ≥45 mm Hg. The statistical analysis as performed using SPSS version 23.0 (SPSS, Chicago, IL, USA) Results: 30 patients with severe AS were included in the study, 23% with severe isolated AS had PH (mean sPAP 55 ± 6.6 mm Hg). More severe LV anatomical and functional abnormalities were observed in patients with PH when compared with patients without PH—a higher LV end-diastolic volume index (EDVi) (140 [120.0–160.0] vs. 90.0 mL/m² [82.5–103.0], p = 0.04), larger LV fibrosis area (7.8 [5.6–8.0] vs. 1.3% [1.2–1.5], p = 0.005), as well as lower LV global longitudinal strain (GLS; −14.0 [−14.9–(−8.9)] vs. −21.1% [−23.4–(−17.8)], p = 0.004). By receiver–operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, LV EDVi > 107.7 mL/m² (Area Under the Curve (AUC) 95.7%), LV GLS < −15.5% (AUC 86.3%), and LV fibrosis area >5% (AUC 89.3) were found to be robust predictors of PH in severe AS patients. Conclusions: In patients with severe aortic stenosis, a larger end-diastolic LV volume, impaired LV global longitudinal strain, and larger LV fibrosis extent can predict the development of pulmonary hypertension.

A Story of PA/BSA and Biomarkers to Diagnose Pulmonary Hypertension in Patients with Severe Aortic Valve Stenosis—The Rise of IGF-BP2 and GDF-15

“…Matching the results of previous studies investigating the levels of BNP or NT-proBNP in patients with PH, our work also found significantly increased levels of BNP/NT-proBNP in patients with PA/BSA ≥ 16.6 mm/m 2 [ 25 , 26 , 27 ]. In the available literature, however, PH was defined by sPAP values obtained through echocardiography [ 27 , 28 ] or right heart catheter measurements [ 26 ].…”

A simplified cardiac damage staging predicts the outcome of patients undergoing TAVR—A multicenter analysis

“…14 With persisting ventricular damage, the backflow of blood will eventually result in pulmonary hypertension and right ventricular impairment. 16 These changes could also be observed in our study cohort as our patients presented with cardiac damage including left and right heart damage.…”

Severe Aortic Valve Stenosis and Pulmonary Hypertension: A Systematic Review of Non-Invasive Ways of Risk Stratification, Especially in Patients Undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement

“…Therefore, few studies with a small number of subjects focused on the detection of post-capillary PH in the setting of severe AS using MRI imaging. In 2019, Gumauskiene et al [57] investigated the impact of severe AS with additional PH on left ventricular (LV) parameters in particular. Of 30 patients, 23% showed severe AS and PH, with significantly higher LV end-diastolic volume index, larger LV fibrosis area and lower LV global longitudinal strain on cMRI.…”