Right Ventricular Contraction Patterns in Patients Undergoing Transcatheter Tricuspid Valve Repair for Severe Tricuspid Regurgitation

Right heart failure and mortality in patients undergoing transcatheter tricuspid valve interventions

AIMS

To assess the association between right heart failure (RHF) and mortality in patients with severe tricuspid regurgitation (TR) undergoing transcatheter tricuspid valve intervention (TTVI), and to determine whether clinical RHF status reduces the survival benefit of successful versus failed TTVI.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The TriValve International Registry (Transcatheter Tricuspid Valve Therapies) is a multicenter registry collecting data of patients with symptomatic, severe or greater TR undergoing TTVI. The population was stratified according to RHF status defined by the following clinical criteria: history of previous hospitalization for RHF (<1 year) OR presence of signs of RHF (jugular venous distension, ascites, peripheral oedema) OR high dose diuretic (≥125 mg/day of furosemide or equivalent). The outcome of interest was 1-year all-cause death. Among 639 patients included in the TriValve registry, 498 had complete data regarding RHF status. Overall, 54 (10.8 %) patients had no criteria for RHF, 133 (26.7 %) patients fulfilled 1 criterion, 240 (48.2 %) 2 criteria and 71 (14.3 %) 3 criteria. At a median follow-up of 216 days (IQR 49-372 days), cumulative incidence of all-cause death was higher in patients with 2 or 3 RHF criteria versus those with no or 1 RHF criterion (adjusted HR 2.91-95 % CI 1.46-5.83, P = 0.002). However, RHF status did not influence the association between procedural success and all-cause death at 1-year follow-up (p for interaction 0.857).

CONCLUSIONS

In a large real-world population undergoing TTVI for severe TR, the presence of at least 2 RHF clinical criteria was independently associated with an increased risk of 1-year mortality. Procedural success was associated with a lower risk of mortality regardless of RHF status.

Evidence Generation and Implementation of Transcatheter Interventions for Atrioventricular Valvular Heart Disease in Heart Failure: Current Status and Future Directions

Mitral regurgitation and tricuspid regurgitation are the most common valvular heart diseases in patients with heart failure and have independent prognostic value. Transcatheter interventions are now available for the treatment of valvular heart disease, and their efficacy and safety have been tested in randomized controlled trials. However, evidence is still limited and sometimes inconclusive because several aspects of these trials limit their interpretation or consistency. These include heterogeneity in the pathogenesis and clinical characteristics of patients, the dynamic nature of secondary atrioventricular valve disease severity, the role of heart failure medications and devices, dependency on procedural results and operators' skills, smaller number of patients enrolled and the power to detect differences in trials, and limitations to use patients' reported outcomes with unblinded study protocols. These specific aspects of trials in patients with atrioventricular valve disease are reviewed in this article with a focus on possible solutions to generate further evidence for the efficacy and safety for transcatheter treatments of atrioventricular valve disease in patients with heart failure.

The Last Decade in Tricuspid Regurgitation: How Imaging Shaped a Field

The tricuspid valve has become a major focus of novel structural heart interventions, with the Conformité Européenne approval of 5 devices in Europe and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of 2 devices in the United States. Multiple meta-analyses and large population-based registries have shown that although significant tricuspid regurgitation (TR) often accompanies left heart or pulmonary vascular diseases, it is associated with an increased risk of mortality and a reduced quality of life after adjusting for these comorbidities. Echocardiography remains the imaging modality of choice for diagnosing the etiology and assessing the severity of TR. However, advanced imaging techniques have played an essential role in the rapid advancement of the structural field and, in particular, transcatheter interventions for TR. Herein, we review the advances made in this field, focusing on the role that imaging has played in shaping a new field of study.

Mechanical Adaptation of the Right Ventricle to Secondary Tricuspid Regurgitation and Its Association With Patient Outcomes

BACKGROUND

Data regarding right ventricular (RV) mechanical adaptation to secondary tricuspid regurgitation (STR) are scarce.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to investigate changes in RV contraction pattern in patients with different degrees of STR severity and etiologies and their association with outcomes.

METHODS

A total of 205 patients with STR (60% women; mean age, 77 ± 12 years) were enrolled in a single-center prospective observational study. Three-dimensional echocardiography was used to measure RV ejection fraction (RVEF); the absolute contributions of the longitudinal component of RVEF (LEF), the radial component of RVEF (REF), and the anteroposterior component of RVEF (AEF); and their relative contributions by indexing to global RVEF (LEF/RVEF, REF/RVEF, and AEF/RVEF, respectively). Patients were followed for a median of 9 months. The primary outcome was heart failure hospitalization or all-cause death.

RESULTS

Patients with different degrees of STR severity did not differ in terms of RVEF (mild vs moderate vs severe: 50 ± 11% vs 49 ± 9% vs 50 ± 10%, respectively, P = .085). However, LEF/RVEF was significantly lower in patients with severe STR (0.39 ± 0.08 vs 0.39 ± 0.09 vs 0.35 ± 0.10, respectively, P = .049). Patients with ventricular STR had lower global RVEF (48 ± 10% vs 53 ± 8%, P = .001), LEF (18 ± 6% vs 20 ± 5%, P = .043), REF (23 ± 9% vs 28 ± 8%, P = .002), and REF/RVEF (0.48 ± 0.012 vs 0.52 ± 0.09, P = .040) than patients with atrial STR. In a multivariable Cox regression model, REF/RVEF was a significant and independent predictor of outcomes in the entire cohort (hazard ratio, 0.980 [95% CI, 0.961-1.000] per 0.01-unit change, P = .047), whereas global RVEF was not.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with STR demonstrate significant functional RV remodeling. Patients with severe STR show a significant decrease in RV longitudinal shortening. Apart from STR severity, STR etiology also influences the RV contraction pattern, which was associated with outcomes in our cohort.

Beyond 2-Dimensional Echocardiography: A Novel Multiparametric Assessment of Right Ventricular Dysfunction in Transcatheter Tricuspid Valve Repair

BACKGROUND

Right ventricular (RV) heart failure as assessed by RV to pulmonary artery coupling (RVPAc) is a prognostic marker in transcatheter tricuspid valve repair (T-TEER). However, quantification of RVPAc components by 2-dimensional (2D) echocardiography in patients with severe tricuspid regurgitation (TR) has significant limitations, and the traditional RVPAc parameter neglects the degree of volume overload/dilatation of the RV, which is another key clinical indicator for right ventricular dysfunction (RVD). Therefore, we aimed to assess RVD by a novel RVPAc parameter, including the 3 important drivers of RVD, for an improved prediction of 1-year mortality after T-TEER.

METHODS

We analyzed 262 patients undergoing T-TEER with complete 3D RV echocardiography and 1-year follow-up.

RESULTS

Increased 3D-RV end diastolic volume (3D-RVEDV: hazard ratio [HR], 1.85; 1.10-3.12; P = 0.020) and impaired RV free-wall longitudinal strain (RVFWLS: HR, 1.73, 1.02-2.92; P = 0.042) predicted 1-year mortality. A novel RVPAc parameter (RVFWLS/[3D-RVEDV∗sPAPinvasive]) including all 3 important drivers for RVD was developed, associating RVPA-uncoupling with a tripled risk for 1-year mortality (HR, 3.19, 1.7-6.0; P < 0.001). The novel RVPAc parameter significantly outperformed the traditional noninvasive RVPAc parameter in 1-year mortality prediction (C-index: 0.68 vs 0.57 for novel vs traditional noninvasive RVPAc; P = 0.027).

CONCLUSIONS

The novel RVPAc parameter, integrating RV function, volume stress, and pressure stress is a powerful metric for RV failure and a superior predictor for survival post-T-TEER.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

Data is based on the EveryValve Registry (ethical code number: 19-840). No further clinical Trial registration.

Association With Outcome of the Regurgitant-Volume Adjusted Right Ventricular Ejection Fraction in Secondary Tricuspid Regurgitation

BACKGROUND

In patients with secondary tricuspid regurgitation (STR), right ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF) may not accurately reflect the actual RV systolic performance since a considerable amount of the RV stroke volume (SV) is regurgitated back into the right atrium. To overcome this limitation, we explored the association with the outcome of the effective RVEF (eRVEF), which accounts for the tricuspid regurgitant volume (RegVol).

METHODS

Five hundred thirteen patients with STR (mean age 75 ± 13 years, 39% atrial STR, 58% severe) underwent complete two-, three-dimensional, and Doppler echocardiography. The eRVEF was computed as RV forward SV/RV end-diastolic volume, where forward SV was obtained by subtracting the tricuspid RegVol from the total RVSV. The end point was a composite of all-cause death and heart failure hospitalization.

RESULTS

After a mean follow-up of 18 ± 15 months, 195 patients (38%) reached the composite end point. At time-dependent receiver operating characteristic analysis, eRVEF (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.72; 95% CI, 0.68-0.77) showed a stronger association with outcome than RVEF (AUC = 0.65; 95% CI, 0.59-0.70; P = .006), tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (AUC = 0.64; 95% CI, 0.59-0.69; P = .01), RV free-wall longitudinal strain (AUC = 0.63; 95% CI, 0.58-0.68; P = .003), and RV fractional area change (AUC = 0.55; 95% CI, 0.50-0.60; P < .001). The eRVEF cutoff associated with an excess event rate was 20% on spline curve modeling. Patients with eRVEF <20% demonstrated a higher rate of events at 2 years (65% ± 6%) than those having an eRVEF ≥20% (22% ± 7%, log-rank <0.0001). An eRVEF <20% was associated with a 3-fold increased risk of experiencing the composite end point (hazard ratio = 3.54 [2.61-4.79], P < .001). On different models of multivariable analysis, eRVEF as a continuous variable remained independently associated with the combined end point (hazard ratio = 0.96; 95% CI, 0.94-0.98; P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with STR, eRVEF was more closely associated with all-cause mortality and heart failure hospitalizations than RVEF and other conventional echocardiographic indices of RV function.

Predictive value of CT-based and AI-reconstructed 3D-TAPSE in patients undergoing transcatheter tricuspid valve repair

Background

The tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) assessed by echocardiography has failed in predicting outcomes in patients with severe tricuspid regurgitation (TR) undergoing transcatheter tricuspid valve intervention (TTVI). Considering the complex shape of the tricuspid annulus and right ventricle, as well as the difficult echocardiographic image acquisition of the right heart, cardiac computed tomography (CT) might be superior for the analysis of the annular excursion. Thus, this study aimed to analyze whether CT-captured TAPSE provides additional value in predicting outcomes after TTVI.

Methods and results

For TTVI procedure planning, 75 patients (mean age, 77 ± 8 years; 61% female) with severe TR underwent full cardiac cycle CT. Septal, lateral, anterior, and posterior TAPSE, as well as TAPSE- volume, were analyzed. Indexed anterior and posterior (iTAPSE) and TAPSE volume were reduced in patients with right ventricular ejection fraction <45%. At 1 year after TTVI (mean follow-up, 193 ± 146days), the combined endpoint of death and rehospitalization occurred in significantly fewer patients with posterior iTAPSE >4.5 mm/m2 (17.2% vs. 63.6%; HR 0.225, CI 0.087-0.581; P < 0.001) and in patients with iTAPSE volume >9 ml/m2 (16.4% vs. 57.1%; HR: 0.269 CI 0.105-0.686; P = 0.003). Echocardiographic TAPSE correlated best with lateral CT-based TAPSE, although both failed in predicting outcomes after TTVI. In multivariate Cox regression, posterior iTAPSE was found to be a significant predictor of outcome 1 year after TTVI.

Conclusions

Posterior iTAPSE is an independent predictor of cardiovascular outcomes among patients undergoing TTVI. Furthermore, CT-measured TAPSE has incremental value and refines risk stratification for clinical outcomes in patients undergoing TTVI.

Relevance of residual tricuspid regurgitation for right ventricular reverse remodelling after tricuspid valve intervention in patients with severe tricuspid regurgitation and right-sided heart failure

AIMS

Right ventricular reverse remodelling (RVRR) is linked to improved survival in patients with severe tricuspid regurgitation (TR) and right-sided heart failure who underwent interventional treatment. However, the role of residual TR on RVRR remains unclear. In this analysis the impact of residual TR on RVRR after interventional TR treatment, which was validated by two independent cohorts at four sites using echocardiography or cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging, was investigated.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Overall, 253 patients who were treated for severe TR and right-sided heart failure using different treatment modalities (tricuspid transcatheter edge-to-edge repair [T-TEER], transcatheter tricuspid valve annuloplasty, orthotopic transcatheter TV replacement [TTVR], heterotopic TTVR) were included. Three-dimensional echocardiographic and CMR-based assessment of RVRR and clinical evaluation of decongestion or exercise capacity were performed at baseline and 30 days after the procedure. Mortality was analysed at 1 year after transcatheter tricuspid valve intervention (TTVI). In patients with residual TR ≤1+ pronounced reduction of right ventricular end-diastolic and end-systolic volumes was observed. In patients with residual TR ≥2+ the effect of RVRR gradually decreased with higher residual TR reinforcing the relevance of optimal procedural results for RVRR. These findings were validated in two independent cohorts. In contrast to RVRR, residual TR ≤1+ and 2+ were associated with similar 1-year survival. RVRR was only observed after T-TEER or orthotopic TTVR, but not after heterotopic TTVR as expected. However, all three treatment modalities were accompanied by significant decongestion and functional improvement at 30-day follow-up.

CONCLUSION

In patients with severe TR and right-sided heart failure undergoing TTVI, superior procedural results were associated with more pronounced RVRR.

RV-PA uncoupling is associated with increased mortality in transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy treated with tafamidis

BACKGROUND

The right ventricle to pulmonary artery coupling (RV-PAc) describes the right ventricle's ability to adjust to an increased afterload. In case of transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM), impaired RV-PAc can result from increased left ventricular diastolic stiffness due to fibril deposition.

OBJECTIVES

While RV-PAc is a validated prognostic parameter in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), its prognostic relevance in ATTR-CM remains unknown. We sought to evaluate the prognostic implications of impaired RV-PAc on survival in ATTR-CM.

METHODS

In this multicentre study, RV-PAc was investigated by the echocardiographic surrogate of ratio of tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion to estimated pulmonary arterial systolic pressure (TAPSE/PASP) in 418 ATTR-CM patients, all treated with a TTR stabilizer. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality.

RESULTS

Within a median time of 1.52 [IQR 0.72-2.56] years after diagnosis, 49 (11.7%) patients died. In multivariate Cox regression analysis impaired RV-PAc was a strong independent predictor of mortality (Hazard Ratio (HR) 2.16, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 1.14-4.07, p = 0.018). RV-PAc ratio at first presentation emerged as a robust marker for risk stratification with a determined optimal cut-off of 0.382 mm/mmHg (area under the curve (AUC) 0.73, 95% CI 0.65-0.81). Patients with RV-PAc ratio ≤ 0.382 mm/mmHg exhibited significantly lower survival (HR 4.17, 95% CI 2.21-7.87, p < 0.001) within 3 years of follow up than those with RV-PAc ratio above the cut-off (Graphical Abstract).

CONCLUSION

Impaired adaptation of the RV to increased afterload is associated with worse outcome in ATTR-CM patients. RV-PAc ratio can serve as an echocardiographic predictor for all-cause mortality. Therefore, the determination of RV-PAc could improve risk stratification for ATTR-CM patients.

Advances in the Assessment of Patients With Tricuspid Regurgitation: A State-of-the-Art Review on the Echocardiographic Evaluation Before and After Tricuspid Valve Interventions

Tricuspid regurgitation (TR) can have a significant impact on the health and mortality of a patient. Unfortunately, many patients with advanced right-sided heart failure are not referred for isolated tricuspid valve (TV) surgery in a timely manner. This delayed referral has resulted in a high in-hospital mortality rate and significant undertreatment. Fortunately, transcatheter TV intervention (TTVI) has emerged as a safe and effective alternative to surgery, successfully reducing TR severity and improving patients' quality of life. Current guidelines emphasize the importance of assessing TR severity and its impact on the right heart chambers for selecting the appropriate intervention. However, the echocardiographic assessment of both right chambers and TV anatomy, along with TR severity, poses specific challenges, leading to the underestimation of TR severity. Recently, three-dimensional echocardiography has become crucial to enhance the characterization of TR severity. Moreover, it is essential to evaluate residual TR after TTVI to gauge the intervention's success and predict the patient's prognosis. This review provides a thorough evaluation of the echocardiographic parameters used to assess TR severity before and after TTVI. It presents a critical analysis of the accuracy and reliability of these parameters, highlighting their strengths and limitations to establish standardized diagnostic criteria and treatment protocols for TR, which will inform clinical decision-making and improve patient outcomes.

Right ventricular dysfunction: pathophysiology, experimental models, evaluation, and treatment

Interest in the right ventricle has substantially increased due to advances in knowledge of its pathophysiology and prognostic implications across a wide spectrum of diseases. However, we are still far from understanding the multiple mechanisms that influence right ventricular dysfunction, its evaluation continues to be challenging, and there is a shortage of specific treatments in most scenarios. This review article aims to update knowledge about the physiology of the right ventricle, its transition to dysfunction, diagnostic tools, and available treatments from a translational perspective.

Key Imaging Factors for Transcatheter Management of Tricuspid Regurgitation: Device and Patient Selection

The growing awareness of tricuspid regurgitation (TR) and the fast-expanding array of devices aiming to percutaneously repair or replace the tricuspid valve have underscored the central role of multi-modality imaging in comprehensively assessing the anatomical and functional characteristics of TR. Accurate phenotyping of TR, the right heart, and pulmonary vasculature via echocardiography, computed tomography, and, occasionally, cardiovascular magnetic resonance and right heart catheterization is deemed crucial in choosing the most suitable treatment strategy for each patient and achieving procedural success. In the first part of the present review, key imaging factors for patient selection will be discussed. In the ensuing sections, an overview of the most commonly used, commercially available systems for transcatheter repair/replacement will be presented, along with their respective selection criteria and information on intraprocedural imaging guidance; these are edge-to-edge repair, orthotopic and heterotopic replacement, and valve-in-valve procedures.

Pathophysiology of the right ventricle and its pulmonary vascular interaction

The right ventricle and its stress response is perhaps the most important arbiter of survival in patients with pulmonary hypertension of many causes. The physiology of the cardiopulmonary unit and definition of right heart failure proposed in the 2018 World Symposium on Pulmonary Hypertension have proven useful constructs in subsequent years. Here, we review updated knowledge of basic mechanisms that drive right ventricular function in health and disease, and which may be useful for therapeutic intervention in the future. We further contextualise new knowledge on assessment of right ventricular function with a focus on metrics readily available to clinicians and updated understanding of the roles of the right atrium and tricuspid regurgitation. Typical right ventricular phenotypes in relevant forms of pulmonary vascular disease are reviewed and recent studies of pharmacological interventions on chronic right ventricular failure are discussed. Finally, unanswered questions and future directions are proposed.

Assessment of the Right Ventricle Function in Patients With Significant Tricuspid Regurgitation: A Review

Tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is an increasingly prevalent condition, especially in older populations, and presents significant challenges due to its association with right heart failure, hospital admissions, and high mortality rates. The management of TR has evolved, with new percutaneous valve repair and replacement techniques emerging alongside traditional surgical approaches. However, accurately assessing right ventricular (RV) function-a key prognostic factor in TR-remains difficult due to the RV's unique anatomy and sensitivity to loading conditions. Current echocardiographic methods, such as Tricuspid Annular Plane Systolic Excursion (TAPSE), S' wave analysis, and RV fractional area change (FAC), offer valuable insights but have limitations, particularly regarding load dependence and incomplete assessment of RV function. Advances in 3D echocardiography and myocardial strain imaging provide more comprehensive evaluations, yet challenges persist in integrating these measures in routine clinical practice. The review highlights the importance of a multimodal approach to RV assessment in TR patients, considering both the right atrium and pulmonary artery interactions, and explores potential future tools such as myocardial work and dynamic testing to improve prognostic accuracy and patient outcomes.

Artificial intelligence-analyzed computed tomography in patients undergoing transcatheter tricuspid valve repair

BACKGROUND

Baseline right ventricular (RV) function derived from 3-dimensional analyses has been demonstrated to be predictive in patients undergoing transcatheter tricuspid valve repair (TTVR). The complex nature of these cumbersome analyses makes patient selection based on established imaging methods challenging. Artificial intelligence (AI)-driven computed tomography (CT) segmentation of the RV might serve as a fast and predictive tool for evaluating patients prior to TTVR.

METHODS

Patients suffering from severe tricuspid regurgitation underwent full cycle cardiac CT. AI-driven analyses were compared to conventional CT analyses. Outcome measures were correlated with survival free of rehospitalization for heart-failure or death after TTVR as the primary endpoint.

RESULTS

Automated AI-based image CT-analysis from 100 patients (mean age 77 ± 8 years, 63% female) showed excellent correlation for chamber quantification compared to conventional, core-lab evaluated CT analysis (R 0.963-0.966; p < 0.001). At 1 year (mean follow-up 229 ± 134 days) the primary endpoint occurred significantly more frequently in patients with reduced RV ejection fraction (EF) <50% (36.6% vs. 13.7%; HR 2.864, CI 1.212-6.763; p = 0.016). Furthermore, patients with dysfunctional RVs defined as end-diastolic RV volume > 210 ml and RV EF <50% demonstrated worse outcome than patients with functional RVs (43.7% vs. 12.2%; HR 3.753, CI 1.621-8.693; p = 0.002).

CONCLUSIONS

Derived RVEF and dysfunctional RV were predictors for death and hospitalization after TTVR. AI-facilitated CT analysis serves as an inter- and intra-observer independent and time-effective tool which may thus aid in optimizing patient selection prior to TTVR in clinical routine and in trials.

Multimodality Imaging for Right Ventricular Function Assessment in Severe Tricuspid Regurgitation

Severe tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is a pathological condition associated with worse cardiovascular outcomes. In the vicious cycle of right ventricular compensation and maladaptation to TR, the development of right ventricle (RV) dysfunction has significant prognostic implications, especially in patients undergoing surgical or percutaneous treatments. Indeed, RV dysfunction is associated with increased operative morbidity and mortality in both surgical and percutaneously treated patients. In this context, the identification of clinical or subtle right ventricle dysfunction plays a critical role inpatient selection and timing of surgical or percutaneous tricuspid valve intervention. However, in the presence of severe TR, evaluation of RV function is challenging, given the increase in preload that may lead to an overestimation of systolic function for the Frank-Starling law, reduced reliability of pulmonary artery pressure estimation, the sensitivity of RV to afterload that may result in afterload mismatch after treatment. Consequently, conventional echocardiographic indices have some limitations, and the use of speckle tracking for right ventricular free wall longitudinal strain (RV-FWLS) analysis and the use of 3D echocardiography for RV volumes and ejection fraction estimation are showing promising data. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) represents the gold standards for volumes and ejection fraction evaluation and may add further prognostic information. Finally, cardiac computer tomography (CCT) provides measurements of RV and annulus dimensions that are particularly useful in the transcatheter field. Identification of subtle RV dysfunction may need, therefore, more than one imaging technique, which will lead to tip the balance between medical therapy and early intervention towards the latter before disease progression. Therefore, the aim of this review is to describe the main imaging techniques, providing a comprehensive assessment of their role in RV function evaluation in the presence of severe TR.

Real-World 1-Year Results of Tricuspid Edge-to-Edge Repair From the bRIGHT Study

BACKGROUND

Severe tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is known to be associated with poor quality of life and increased risk of death when left untreated.

OBJECTIVES

We sought to report the 1-year clinical outcomes of subjects treated by tricuspid transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) with the TriClip system (Abbott Cardiovascular) in a contemporary real-world setting.

METHODS

The bRIGHT (An Observational Real-World Study Evaluating Severe Tricuspid Regurgitation Patients Treated With the Abbott TriClip Device) postapproval study is a prospective, single-arm, open-label, multicenter postmarket registry conducted at 26 sites in Europe, with central event adjudication and echocardiographic core-laboratory assessment.

RESULTS

Enrolled subjects (n = 511) were elderly (79 ± 7 years) with significant comorbidities. A total of 88% had baseline massive or torrential TR, and 80% of subjects were in NYHA functional class III/IV. TR was reduced to moderate or less in 81% at 1 year. Significant improvements in NYHA functional class (21% to 75% I/II, P < 0.0001) and Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ) score (19 ± 26-point improvement, P <0.0001) were observed at 1 year. One-year mortality was significantly lower in subjects who achieved moderate or lower TR at 30 days; however, there was no difference in mortality among subjects who achieved moderate, mild, or trace TR at 30 days. In addition to TR reduction at 30 days, baseline serum creatinine and baseline right ventricular tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (RV TAPSE) were independently associated with mortality at 1 year (OR: 2.169; 95% CI: 1.494-3.147; P < 0.0001; OR: 0.636; 95% CI: 0.415-0.974; P = 0.0375). Mortality was not associated with baseline TR grade or with center volume.

CONCLUSIONS

Tricuspid TEER using the TriClip system was safe and effective through 1 year for subjects with significant TR and advanced disease in a diverse real-world population. (An Observational Real-world Study Evaluating Severe Tricuspid Regurgitation Patients Treated With the Abbott TriClip Device [bRIGHT]; NCT04483089).

New Therapeutic Advances in the Management of Tricuspid Valve Regurgitation

Tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is an intricate disorder that has a negative outlook, while surgical treatment is linked to increased mortality. Primary TR occurs due to a structural defect in the tricuspid valve (TV), while secondary TR is a more prevalent condition often associated with pulmonary hypertension, heart failure, and atrial fibrillation. The use of specific surgical procedures to improve TR is limited in everyday clinical practice due to the heightened surgical risk and delayed patient presentation. The development of other transcatheter heart valve procedures has led to a significant increase in transcatheter TV operations, which can be attributed to certain technological advancements. This review aims to provide an updated overview of transcatheter TV procedures, available alternative therapies, and standards for patient selection. It will also highlight the current state of development in this field, which is characterized by rapid progress and numerous ongoing clinical trials.

Assessment of Tricuspid Regurgitation by Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Current Role and Future Applications

Tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is a prevalent valvular disease with a significant mortality rate. The evaluation of TR severity and associated right heart remodeling and dysfunction is crucial to determine the optimal therapeutic strategy and to improve prognosis. While echocardiography remains the first-line imaging technique to evaluate TR, it has many limitations, both operator- and patient-related. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) has emerged as an innovative and comprehensive non-invasive cardiac imaging technique with additional value beyond routine echocardiographic assessment. Besides its established role as the gold standard for the evaluation of cardiac volumes, CMR can add important insights with regard to valvular anatomy and function. Accurate quantification of TR severity, including calculation of regurgitant volume and fraction, can be performed using either the well-known indirect volumetric method or novel 4D flow imaging. In addition, CMR can be used to assess the impact on the right heart, including right heart remodeling, function and tissue characterization. Several CMR-derived parameters have been associated with outcome, highlighting the importance of multi-modality imaging in patients with TR. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of the current role of CMR in the assessment and management of patients with TR and its future applications.

Tricuspid Regurgitation in Patients With Heart Failure and Preserved Ejection Fraction: JACC State-of-the-Art Review

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Important risk factors for the development of HFpEF are similar to risk factors for the progression of tricuspid regurgitation (TR), and both conditions frequently coexist and thus is a distinct phenotype or a marker for advanced HF. Many patients with severe, symptomatic atrial secondary TR have been enrolled in current transcatheter device trials, and may represent patients at an advanced stage of HFpEF. Management of HFpEF thus may affect the pathophysiology of TR, and the physiologic changes that occur following transcatheter treatment of TR, may also impact symptoms and outcomes in patients with HFpEF. This review discusses these issues and suggests possible management strategies for these patients.

GLIDE Score: Scoring System for Prediction of Procedural Success in Tricuspid Valve Transcatheter Edge-to-Edge Repair

BACKGROUND

Tricuspid valve transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (T-TEER) is the most widely used transcatheter therapy to treat patients with tricuspid regurgitation (TR).

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to develop a simple anatomical score to predict procedural outcomes of T-TEER.

METHODS

All patients (n = 168) who underwent T-TEER between January 2017 and November 2022 at 2 centers were included in the derivation cohort. Additionally, 126 patients from 2 separate institutions served as a validation cohort. T-TEER was performed using 2 commercially available technologies. Core laboratory assessment of procedural transesophageal echocardiograms was used to determine septolateral and anteroposterior coaptation gap, leaflet morphology, septal leaflet length and retraction, chordal structure density, tethering height, en face TR jet morphology and TR jet location, image quality, and the presence of intracardiac leads. A scoring system was derived using univariable and multivariable logistic regression. Endpoints assessed were immediate postprocedural TR reduction ≥2 grades and TR grade moderate or less.

RESULTS

The median age was 82 years (Q1-Q3: 78-84 years); 48% of patients were women; and patients presented with severe (55%), massive (36%), and torrential (8%) TR. Five variables (septolateral coaptation gap, chordal structure density, en face TR jet morphology, TR jet location, and image quality) were identified as best predicting procedural outcome and were incorporated in the GLIDE (Gap, Location, Image quality, density, en-face TR morphology) score (range 0-5). TR reduction ≥2 grades and TR grade moderate or less were observed in >90% of patients with GLIDE scores of 0 and 1 and in only 5.6% and 16.7% of those with GLIDE scores ≥4. The GLIDE score was then externally validated in a separate cohort (area under the curve: 0.77; 95% CI: 0.69-0.86). TR reduction significantly correlated with functional improvement assessed by NYHA functional class and 6-minute walk distance at 3 months.

CONCLUSIONS

The GLIDE score is a simple, 5-component score that is readily obtained during patient imaging and can predict successful T-TEER.

Outcomes of Transcatheter Tricuspid Edge-to-Edge Repair in Patients With Right Ventricular Dysfunction

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.

Valvular heart disease: from mechanisms to management

Valvular heart disease is common and its prevalence is rapidly increasing worldwide. Effective medical therapies are insufficient and treatment was historically limited to the surgical techniques of valve repair or replacement, resulting in systematic underprovision of care to older patients and those with substantial comorbidities, frailty, or left ventricular dysfunction. Advances in imaging and surgical techniques over the past 20 years have transformed the management of valvular heart disease. Better understanding of the mechanisms and causes of disease and an increasingly extensive and robust evidence base provide a platform for the delivery of individualised treatment by multidisciplinary heart teams working within networks of diagnostic facilities and specialist heart valve centres. In this Series paper, we aim to provide an overview of the current and future management of valvular heart disease and propose treatment approaches based on an understanding of the underlying pathophysiology and the application of multidisciplinary treatment strategies to individual patients.

New Approaches to Assessment and Management of Tricuspid Regurgitation Before Intervention

Severe tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is a progressive condition associated with substantial morbidity, poor quality of life, and increased mortality. Patients with TR commonly have coexisting conditions including congestive heart failure, pulmonary hypertension, chronic lung disease, atrial fibrillation, and cardiovascular implantable electronic devices, which can increase the complexity of medical and surgical TR management. As such, the optimal timing of referral for isolated tricuspid valve (TV) intervention is undefined, and TV surgery has been associated with elevated risk of morbidity and mortality. More recently, an unprecedented growth in TR treatment options, namely the development of a wide range of transcatheter TV interventions (TTVI) is stimulating increased interest and referral for TV intervention across the entire medical community. However, there are no stepwise algorithms for the optimal management of symptomatic severe TR before TTVI. This article reviews the contemporary assessment and management of TR with addition of a medical framework to optimize TR before referral for TTVI.

Prediction of Mortality and Heart Failure Hospitalization After Transcatheter Tricuspid Valve Interventions: Validation of TRISCORE

BACKGROUND

Data on the prognostic role of the TRI-SCORE in patients undergoing transcatheter tricuspid valve intervention (TTVI) are limited.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of the TRI-SCORE in predicting outcomes of patients undergoing TTVI.

METHODS

TriValve (Transcatheter Tricuspid Valve Therapies) is a large multicenter multinational registry including patients undergoing TTVI. The TRI-SCORE is a risk model recently proposed to predict in-hospital mortality after tricuspid valve surgery. The TriValve population was stratified based on the TRI-SCORE tertiles. The outcomes of interest were all-cause death and all-cause death or heart failure hospitalization. Procedural complications and changes in NYHA functional class were also reported.

RESULTS

Among the 634 patients included, 223 patients (35.2%) had a TRI-SCORE between 0 and 5, 221 (34.8%) had 6 or 7, and 190 (30%) had ≥8 points. Postprocedural blood transfusion, acute kidney injury, new atrial fibrillation, and in-hospital mortality were more frequent in the highest TRI-SCORE tertile. Postprocedure length of stay increased with a TRI-SCORE increase. A TRI-SCORE ≥8 was associated with an increased risk of 30-day all-cause mortality and all-cause mortality and the composite endpoint assessed at a median follow-up of 186 days (OR: 3.00; 95% CI: 1.38-6.55; HR: 2.17; 95% CI: 1.78-4.13; HR: 2.08, 95% CI: 1.57-2.74, respectively) even after adjustment for procedural success and EuroSCORE II or Society of Thoracic Surgeons Predicted Risk of Mortality. The NYHA functional class improved across all TRI-SCORE values.

CONCLUSIONS

In the TriValve registry, the TRI-SCORE has a suboptimal performance in predicting clinical outcomes. However, a TRISCORE ≥8 is associated with an increased risk of clinical events and a lack of prognostic benefit after successful TTVI.

Congestion patterns in severe tricuspid regurgitation and transcatheter treatment: Insights from a multicentre registry

AIMS

While invasively determined congestion holds mechanistic and prognostic significance in acute heart failure (HF), its role in patients with tricuspid regurgitation (TR)-related right- heart failure (HF) undergoing transcatheter tricuspid valve intervention (TTVI) is less well established. A comprehensive understanding of congestion patterns might aid in procedural planning, risk stratification, and the identification of patients who may benefit from adjunctive therapies before undergoing TTVI. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of congestion patterns in patients with severe TR and its implications for TTVI.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Within a multicentre, international TTVI registry, 813 patients underwent right heart catheterization (RHC) prior to TTVI and were followed up to 24 months. The median age was 80 (interquartile range 76-83) years and 54% were women. Both mean right atrial pressure (RAP) and pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) were associated with 2-year mortality on Cox regression analyses with Youden index-derived cut-offs of 17 mmHg and 19 mmHg, respectively (p < 0.01 for all). However, RAP emerged as an independent predictor of outcomes following multivariable adjustments. Pre-interventionally, 42% of patients were classified as euvolaemic (RAP <17 mmHg, PCWP <19 mmHg), 23% as having left-sided congestion (RAP <17 mmHg, PCWP ≥19 mmHg), 8% as right-sided congestion (RAP ≥17 mmHg, PCWP <19 mmHg), and 27% as bilateral congestion (RAP ≥17 mmHg, PCWP ≥19 mmHg). Patients with right-sided or bilateral congestion had the lowest procedural success rates and shortest survival times. Congestion patterns allowed for discerning specific patient's physiology and specifying prognostic implications of right ventricular to pulmonary artery coupling surrogates.

CONCLUSION

In this large cohort of invasively characterized patients undergoing TTVI, congestion patterns involving right-sided congestion were associated with low procedural success and higher mortality rates after TTVI. Whether pre-interventional reduction of right-sided congestion can improve outcomes after TTVI should be established in dedicated studies.

Impact of tricuspid regurgitation severity on mortality in pulmonary hypertension patients: A comprehensive analysis

BACKGROUND

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) presents as a complex cardiovascular condition with a highly variable prognosis. Secondary tricuspid regurgitation (TR), a frequent comorbidity in PH, has an uncertain impact on patient outcomes. This study investigates the relationship between the severity of TR and mortality in patients with PH.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis of 110 PH patients who underwent right-heart catheterization was conducted. TR severity was categorized echocardiographically as mild, moderate, or severe. Both univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to assess predictors of mortality.

RESULTS

The median age of the cohort was 60 years, predominantly female (65 %). Severe TR was present in 36 % of patients. Over a 20-month median follow-up, mortality was notably higher in patients with severe TR (30 %) compared to those with milder forms (15 %, p = 0.04). Multivariate analysis confirmed severe TR, WHO functional class III/IV, and right ventricular stroke work index as independent predictors of mortality.

CONCLUSION

Severe TR significantly predicts increased mortality in PH patients, underscoring its importance in patient management. These findings advocate for early detection and comprehensive management of TR, integrating its assessment into routine PH care to potentially enhance patient outcomes.

Implications of tricuspid regurgitation and right ventricular volume overload in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction

AIMS

The aim of this study was to assess the pathophysiological implications of severe tricuspid regurgitation (TR) in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) by using tricuspid transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (T-TEER) as a model of right ventricular (RV) volume overload relief.

METHODS AND RESULTS

This prospective interventional single arm trial (NCT04782908) included patients with invasively diagnosed HFpEF. The following parameters were prospectively assessed before and after T-TEER: left ventricular (LV) diastolic properties by invasive pressure-volume loop recordings; biventricular time-volume curves and function as well as septal curvature by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging; strain analyses for timing of septal motion. Overall, 20 patients (median age 78, interquartile range [IQR] 72-83 years, 65% female) were included. T-TEER reduced TR by a median of 2 (of 5) grades (IQR 2-1). T-TEER increased LV stroke volume and LV end-diastolic volume (LVEDV) (p < 0.001), without increasing LV end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) (p = 0.094), consequently diastolic function improved with a reduction in LVEDP/LVEDV (p = 0.001) and a rightward shift of the end-diastolic pressure-volume relationship. The increase in LVEDV correlated with a decrease in RV end-diastolic volume (p < 0.001) and LV transmural pressure increased (p = 0.028). Secondary to a decrease in early RV filling, improvements in early LV filling were observed, correlating with an alleviation of leftwards bowing of the septum (p < 0.01, respectively).

CONCLUSION

Diastolic LV properties in patients with HFpEF and severe TR are importantly determined by ventricular interaction in the setting of RV volume overload. T-TEER reduces RV volume overload and improves biventricular interaction and physiology.

Mid-term outcomes of right ventricular papillary muscle approximation for severe functional tricuspid regurgitation

OBJECTIVES

Recurrence of tricuspid regurgitation (TR) after tricuspid annuloplasty can occur in cases where a dilated right ventricle exists and subsequent leaflet tethering follows. We previously reported a new technique of the right ventricular papillary muscle approximation (RV-PMA) for functional TR associated with leaflet tethering. The objective of this study is to elucidate the mid-term outcomes and evaluate the durability of RV-PMA.

METHODS

Between January 2014 and March 2023, we applied RV-PMA in 20 patients of advanced functional TR with severe leaflet tethering. The indication of the technique was severe TR with leaflet tethering height >8 mm, and/or a right ventricular end-diastolic diameter >45 mm. The patients were followed up with echocardiography before discharge and at annual interval thereafter.

RESULTS

There was no perioperative mortality. In the echocardiography performed before discharge, TR was decreased to mild or less in 85%, and a significant improvement in right ventricular end-diastolic diameter and tethering height were achieved (53-45 mm and 11.1-4.4 mm, respectively). Furthermore, during the median 3-year follow-up period, TR was kept controlled mild or less in 80% of the cases.

CONCLUSIONS

RV-PMA is considered to be a safe, effective and durable technique as an additional approach for tricuspid annuloplasty.

Right Ventricular Dysfunction in Patients With Concomitant Tricuspid Regurgitation Undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation

BACKGROUND

This study investigated the impact and predictive factors of concomitant significant tricuspid regurgitation (TR) and evaluated the roles of right ventricle (RV) function and the etiology of TR in the clinical outcomes of patients with severe aortic stenosis undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI).

METHODS AND RESULTS

We assessed grading of TR severity, TR etiology, and RV function in pre- and post-TAVI transthoracic echocardiograms for 678 patients at Keio University School of Medicine. TR etiology was divided into 3 groups: primary TR, ventricular functional TR (FTR), and atrial FTR. The primary outcomes were all-cause and cardiovascular death. At baseline, moderate or greater TR was found in 55 (8%) patients and, after adjustment for comorbidities, was associated with increased all-cause death (hazard ratio [HR] 2.11; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.19-3.77; P=0.011) and cardiovascular death (HR 2.29; 95% CI 1.06-4.99; P=0.036). RV dysfunction (RVD) also remained an independent predictor of cardiovascular death (HR 2.06; 95% CI 1.03-4.14; P=0.042). Among the TR etiology groups, patients with ventricular FTR had the lowest survival rate (P<0.001). Patients with persistent RVD after TAVI had a higher risk of cardiovascular death than those with a normal or recovered RV function (P<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The etiology of TR and RV function play an important role in predicting outcomes in concomitant TR patients undergoing TAVI.

Transcatheter treatment of the tricuspid valve: current status and perspectives

Transcatheter tricuspid valve interventions (TTVI) are emerging as alternatives to surgery in high-risk patients with isolated or concomitant tricuspid regurgitation. The development of new minimally invasive solutions potentially more adapted to this largely undertreated population of patients, has fuelled the interest for the tricuspid valve. Growing evidence and new concepts have contributed to revise obsolete and misleading perceptions around the right side of the heart. New definitions, classifications, and a better understanding of the disease pathophysiology and phenotypes, as well as their associated patient journeys have profoundly and durably changed the landscape of tricuspid disease. A number of registries and a recent randomized controlled pivotal trial provide preliminary guidance for decision-making. TTVI seem to be very safe and effective in selected patients, although clinical benefits beyond improved quality of life remain to be demonstrated. Even if more efforts are needed, increased disease awareness is gaining momentum in the community and supports the establishment of dedicated expert valve centres. This review is summarizing the achievements in the field and provides perspectives for a less invasive management of a no-more-forgotten disease.

Epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis and management of chronic right-sided heart failure and tricuspid regurgitation. A clinical consensus statement of the Heart Failure Association (HFA) and the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI) of the ESC

Right-sided heart failure and tricuspid regurgitation are common and strongly associated with poor quality of life and an increased risk of heart failure hospitalizations and death. While medical therapy for right-sided heart failure is limited, treatment options for tricuspid regurgitation include surgery and, based on recent developments, several transcatheter interventions. However, the patients who might benefit from tricuspid valve interventions are yet unknown, as is the ideal time for these treatments given the paucity of clinical evidence. In this context, it is crucial to elucidate aetiology and pathophysiological mechanisms leading to right-sided heart failure and tricuspid regurgitation in order to recognize when tricuspid regurgitation is a mere bystander and when it can cause or contribute to heart failure progression. Notably, early identification of right heart failure and tricuspid regurgitation may be crucial and optimal management requires knowledge about the different mechanisms and causes, clinical course and presentation, as well as possible treatment options. The aim of this clinical consensus statement is to summarize current knowledge about epidemiology, pathophysiology and treatment of tricuspid regurgitation in right-sided heart failure providing practical suggestions for patient identification and management.

Tricuspid Regurgitation and Right Heart Failure: The Role of Imaging in Defining Pathophysiology, Presentation, and Novel Management Strategies

During the last few years, there has been a substantial shift in efforts to understand and manage secondary or functional tricuspid regurgitation (TR) given its prevalence, adverse prognostic impact, and symptom burden associated with progressive right heart failure. Understanding the pathophysiology of TR and right heart failure is crucial for determining the best treatment strategy and improving outcomes. In this article, we review the complex relationship between right heart structural and hemodynamic changes that drive the pathophysiology of secondary TR and discuss the role of multimodality imaging in the diagnosis, management, and determination of outcomes.

Refining accuracy of RV-PA coupling in patients undergoing transcatheter tricuspid valve treatment

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.

Toward the Implementation of Optimal Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Risk Stratification in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

BACKGROUND

The 2022 European Society of Cardiology/European Respiratory Society pulmonary hypertension (PH) guidelines incorporate cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging metrics in the risk stratification of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Thresholds to identify patients at estimated 1-year mortality risks of < 5%, 5% to 20%, and > 20% are introduced. However, these cutoff values are mostly single center-based and require external validation.

RESEARCH QUESTION

What are the discriminative prognostic properties of the current CMR risk thresholds stratifying patients with PAH?

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

We analyzed data from incident, treatment-naïve patients with PAH from the Amsterdam University Medical Centres, Vrije Universiteit, The Netherlands. The discriminative properties of the proposed CMR three risk strata were tested at baseline and first reassessment, using the following PH guideline variables: right ventricular ejection fraction, indexed right ventricular end-systolic volume, and indexed left ventricular stroke volume.

RESULTS

A total of 258 patients with PAH diagnosed between 2001 and 2022 fulfilled the study criteria and were included in this study. Of these, 172 had follow-up CMR imaging after 3 months to 1.5 years. According to the CMR three risk strata, most patients were classified at intermediate risk (n = 115 [45%]) upon diagnosis. Only 29 (11%) of patients with PAH were classified at low risk, and 114 (44%) were classified at high risk. Poor survival discrimination was seen between risk groups. Appropriate survival discrimination was seen at first reassessment.

INTERPRETATION

Risk stratifying patients with PAH with the recent proposed CMR cutoffs from the European Society of Cardiology/European Respiratory Society 2022 PH guidelines requires adjustment because post-processing consensus is lacking and general applicability is limited. Risk assessment at follow-up yielded better survival discrimination, emphasizing the importance of the individual treatment response.

Tricuspid Regurgitation: From Imaging to Clinical Trials to Resolving the Unmet Need for Treatment

Tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is a highly prevalent and heterogeneous valvular disease, independently associated with excess mortality and high morbidity in all clinical contexts. TR is profoundly undertreated by surgery and is often discovered late in patients presenting with right-sided heart failure. To address the issue of undertreatment and poor clinical outcomes without intervention, numerous structural tricuspid interventional devices have been and are in development, a challenging process due to the unique anatomic and physiological characteristics of the tricuspid valve, and warranting well-designed clinical trials. The path from routine practice TR detection to appropriate TR evaluation, to conduction of clinical trials, to enriched therapeutic possibilities for improving TR access to treatment and outcomes in routine practice is complex. Therefore, this paper summarizes the key points and methods crucial to TR detection, quantitation, categorization, risk-scoring, intervention-monitoring, and outcomes evaluation, particularly of right-sided function, and to clinical trial development and conduct, for both interventional and surgical groups.

Restoration of right ventricular function in the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension

OBJECTIVE

A 45% threshold of right ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF) is proposed clinically relevant in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). We aim to determine treatment response, long-term right ventricular (RV) functional stability and prognosis of patients with PAH reaching or maintaining the RVEF 45% threshold.

METHODS

Incident, treatment-naive, adult PAH patients with cardiac magnetic resonance imaging at baseline and first follow-up were included (total N=127) and followed until date of censoring or death/lung transplantation. Patients were categorised into two groups based on 45% RVEF. Baseline predictors, treatment response and prognosis were assessed with logistic regression analyses, two-way analysis of variance and log-rank tests.

RESULTS

Patients were 50±17 years old, 73% female, of which N=75 reached or maintained the 45% RVEF threshold at follow-up (RVEF≥45%@FU), while N=52 patients did not (RVEF<45%@FU). RV end-diastolic volume and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide at baseline were multivariable predictors of an RVEF ≥45% at follow-up. A 40% pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) reduction resulted in greater improvement in RV function (ΔRVEF 17±11 vs. 5±8; pinteraction<0.001) compared to a PVR reduction <40%, but did not guarantee an RVEF ≥45%. Finally, the 45% RVEF threshold was associated with stable RV function during long-term follow-up and better survival (HR: 1.91 (95% CI: 1.11 to 3.27)). Patients failing to reach or maintain the 45% RVEF threshold at first follow-up mostly stayed below this threshold over the next consecutive visits.

CONCLUSION

After treatment initiation, 60% of patients with PAH reach or maintain the 45% RVEF threshold, which is associated with a long-term stable RV function and favourable prognosis.

Tricuspid Valve Academic Research Consortium Definitions for Tricuspid Regurgitation and Trial Endpoints

Interest in the pathophysiology, etiology, management, and outcomes of patients with tricuspid regurgitation (TR) has grown in the wake of multiple natural history studies showing progressively worse outcomes associated with increasing TR severity, even after adjusting for multiple comorbidities. Historically, isolated tricuspid valve surgery has been associated with high in-hospital mortality rates, leading to the development of transcatheter treatment options. The aim of this first Tricuspid Valve Academic Research Consortium document is to standardize definitions of disease etiology and severity, as well as endpoints for trials that aim to address the gaps in our knowledge related to identification and management of patients with TR. Standardizing endpoints for trials should provide consistency and enable meaningful comparisons between clinical trials. A second Tricuspid Valve Academic Research Consortium document will focus on further defining trial endpoints and will discuss trial design options.

Tricuspid Valve Academic Research Consortium Definitions for Tricuspid Regurgitation and Trial Endpoints

Interest in the pathophysiology, etiology, management, and outcomes of patients with tricuspid regurgitation (TR) has grown in the wake of multiple natural history studies showing progressively worse outcomes associated with increasing TR severity, even after adjusting for multiple comorbidities. Historically, isolated tricuspid valve surgery has been associated with high in-hospital mortality rates, leading to the development of transcatheter treatment options. The aim of this first Tricuspid Valve Academic Research Consortium document is to standardize definitions of disease etiology and severity, as well as endpoints for trials that aim to address the gaps in our knowledge related to identification and management of patients with TR. Standardizing endpoints for trials should provide consistency and enable meaningful comparisons between clinical trials. A second Tricuspid Valve Academic Research Consortium document will focus on further defining trial endpoints and will discuss trial design options.

Right ventricular ejection fraction assessed by computed tomography in patients undergoing transcatheter tricuspid valve repair

AIMS

The role of right ventricular function in patients undergoing transcatheter tricuspid valve repair (TTVR) is poorly understood. This study investigated the association of right ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF) assessed by cardiac computed tomography (CCT) with clinical outcomes in patients undergoing TTVR.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We retrospectively assessed three-dimensional (3D) RVEF by using pre-procedural CCT images in patients undergoing TTVR. RV dysfunction was defined as a CT-RVEF of <45%. The primary outcome was a composite outcome, consisting of all-cause mortality and hospitalization due to heart failure, within 1 year after TTVR. Of 157 patients, 58 (36.9%) presented with CT-RVEF <45%. Procedural success and in-hospital mortality were comparable between patients with CT-RVEF <45% and ≥45%. However, CT-RVEF of <45% was associated with a higher risk of the composite outcome (hazard ratio: 2.99; 95% confidence interval: 1.65-5.41; P = 0.001), which had an additional value beyond two-dimensional echocardiographic assessments of RV function to stratify the risk of the composite outcome. In addition, patients with CT-RVEF ≥45% exhibited the association of procedural success (i.e. residual tricuspid regurgitation of ≤2+ at discharge) with a decreased risk of the composite outcome, while this association was attenuated in those with CT-RVEF <45% (P for interaction = 0.035).

CONCLUSION

CT-RVEF is associated with the risk of the composite outcome after TTVR, and a reduced CT-RVEF might attenuate the prognostic benefit of TR reduction. The assessment of 3D-RVEF by using CCT may refine the patient selection for TTVR.

Tricuspid Valve Academic Research Consortium Definitions for Tricuspid Regurgitation and Trial Endpoints

Interest in the pathophysiology, etiology, management, and outcomes of patients with tricuspid regurgitation (TR) has grown in the wake of multiple natural history studies showing progressively worse outcomes associated with increasing TR severity, even after adjusting for multiple comorbidities. Historically, isolated tricuspid valve surgery has been associated with high in-hospital mortality rates, leading to the development of transcatheter treatment options. The aim of this first Tricuspid Valve Academic Research Consortium document is to standardize definitions of disease etiology and severity, as well as endpoints for trials that aim to address the gaps in our knowledge related to identification and management of patients with TR. Standardizing endpoints for trials should provide consistency and enable meaningful comparisons between clinical trials. A second Tricuspid Valve Academic Research Consortium document will focus on further defining trial endpoints and will discuss trial design options.

Tricuspid Regurgitation and Right Heart Failure: The Role of Imaging in Defining Pathophysiology, Presentation, and Novel Management Strategies

During the last few years, there has been a substantial shift in efforts to understand and manage secondary or functional tricuspid regurgitation (TR) given its prevalence, adverse prognostic impact, and symptom burden associated with progressive right heart failure. Understanding the pathophysiology of TR and right heart failure is crucial for determining the best treatment strategy and improving outcomes. In this article, we review the complex relationship between right heart structural and hemodynamic changes that drive the pathophysiology of secondary TR and discuss the role of multimodality imaging in the diagnosis, management, and determination of outcomes.

Unmet Needs in the Assessment of Right Ventricular Function for Severe Tricuspid Regurgitation

Tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is a highly prevalent valvular heart disease that has been long overlooked, but lately its independent association with adverse cardiovascular outcomes was recognized. The time point to intervene and repair the tricuspid valve is defined by the right ventricular (RV) dilation and dysfunction that comes up at a later stage. While guidelines favor tricuspid valve repair before severe RV dysfunction ensues, the definition of RV dysfunction in a universal manner remains vague. As a result, the candidates for transcatheter or surgical TR procedures are often referred late, when advanced RV dysfunction is established, and any derived procedural survival benefit is attenuated. Thus, it is of paramount importance to establish a universal means of RV function assessment in patients with TR. Conventional echocardiographic indices of RV function routinely applied have fundamental flaws that limit the precise characterization of RV performance. More recently, novel echocardiographic indices such as strain via speckle-tracking have emerged, demonstrating promising results in the identification of early RV damage. Additionally, evidence of the role of alternative imaging modalities such as cardiac computed tomography and cardiac magnetic resonance, for RV functional assessment in TR, has recently arisen. This review provides a systematic appraisal of traditional and novel multimodality indices of RV function in severe TR and aims to refine RV function assessment, designate future directions, and ultimately, to improve the outcome of patients suffering from severe TR.

Tricuspid Valve Regurgitation: Current Understanding and Novel Treatment Options

Managing patients with severe symptomatic tricuspid regurgitation (TR) remains extremely challenging, with a lack of consensus on when and how to treat it. Tricuspid valve pathology has been disregarded for a very long time because of the established belief that treating left-sided heart diseases would lead to the resolution or significant improvement of TR. Initially considered benign, severe TR has been found to be a strong predictor of prognosis. Despite the increasing prevalence and the disabling nature of this disease, the great majority of patients with clinically significant TR have seldom been considered for structural interventions. Numerous surgical and transcatheter treatment options are now available; however, optimal timing and procedural selection remain crucial aspects influencing outcomes. According to recent evidence in the literature, early referral is associated with good short and long-term outcomes, and various predictors of favorable outcomes following either surgical or transcatheter treatment have been identified. Evaluation by a multidisciplinary heart team with expertise in tricuspid valve disease is of paramount importance to identify adequate treatment for every patient.

Transcatheter Tricuspid Valve Replacement: Case Selection, Technical Considerations, and Procedural Planning

Tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is a highly prevalent valve disorder in the US, with prevalence increasing with age. Without treatment, severe TR carries a poor prognosis. Tricuspid valve (TV) surgery is recommended for patients with severe TR undergoing left-sided valve surgery. Transcatheter TV repair or transcatheter TV replacement are potential options for patients who are not surgical candidates. A few small studies have demonstrated the feasibility and efficacy of transcatheter TV repair in patients with severe symptomatic TR. Careful patient selection by assessing tricuspid valve anatomy, right ventricular and pulmonary hemodynamics, candidacy for anticoagulation, comorbid conditions, and frailty is key to procedural success. Transcatheter TV repair can be performed via the transjugular or transfemoral access, and requires a large-caliber sheath (up to 45 Fr) and delivery system, particularly with dilated tricuspid annulus due to right ventricular enlargement. Multimodality imaging is essential for diagnosing TR severity, defining valve anatomy, and comprehensive functional assessment of the tricuspid valve, right atrium, and right ventricle. Several prosthetic valves, including the EVOQUE system, NaviGate system, Intrepid valve, and Cardiovalve, are currently being investigated in clinical trials.

Echocardiography Imaging of the Right Ventricle: Focus on Three-Dimensional Echocardiography

Right ventricular function strongly predicts cardiac death and adverse cardiac events in patients with cardiac diseases. However, the accurate right ventricular assessment by two-dimensional echocardiography is limited due to its complex anatomy, shape, and load dependence. Advances in cardiac imaging and three-dimensional echocardiography provided more reliable information on right ventricular volumes and function without geometrical assumptions. Furthermore, the pathophysiology of right ventricular dysfunction and tricuspid regurgitation is frequently connected. Three-dimensional echocardiography allows a more in-depth structural and functional evaluation of the tricuspid valve. Understanding the anatomy and pathophysiology of the right side of the heart may help in diagnosing and managing the disease by using reliable imaging tools. The present review describes the challenging echocardiographic assessment of the right ventricle and tricuspid valve apparatus in clinical practice with a focus on three-dimensional echocardiography.

Multimodality imaging for transcatheter tricuspid valve repair and replacement

Transcatheter tricuspid intervention is a rapidly evolving field with multiple classes of therapeutic devices currently in development. Procedural success in tricuspid intervention is predicated on appropriate device selection for patient specific anatomy and satisfactory imaging for intra-procedural guidance. This review will outline protocols and methodology for multi-modality imaging assessment of the tricuspid valve and associated structures, with emphasis on anatomic and functional characteristics that determine suitability for each class of tricuspid intervention. Intra-procedural imaging requirements for each class of device, with design and procedural imaging guidance of specific devices, will also be addressed.

Valvular Heart Failure due to Tricuspid Regurgitation: Surgical and Transcatheter Management Options

Given the independent association of mortality with higher grades of tricuspid regurgitation severity, there is an increasing interest in improving the outcomes of this prevalent valvular heart disease. A new classification of tricuspid regurgitation etiology allows for an improved understanding of different pathophysiologic forms of the disease, which may determine the appropriate management strategy. Current surgical outcomes remain suboptimal and multiple transcatheter device therapies are currently under investigation to give high and prohibitive surgical risk patients treatment options beyond medical therapy.

Assessment of Right Ventricular Function-a State of the Art

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The right ventricle (RV) has a complex geometry and physiology which is distinct from the left. RV dysfunction and failure can be the aftermath of volume- and/or pressure-loading conditions, as well as myocardial and pericardial diseases.

RECENT FINDINGS

Echocardiography, magnetic resonance imaging and right heart catheterisation can assess RV function by using several qualitative and quantitative parameters. In pulmonary hypertension (PH) in particular, RV function can be impaired and is related to survival. An accurate assessment of RV function is crucial for the early diagnosis and management of these patients. This review focuses on the different modalities and indices used for the evaluation of RV function with an emphasis on PH.