Search

Exercise-induced pulmonary hypertension (exPHT) is a hemodynamic condition linked to increased morbidity and mortality across various cardiopulmonary diseases. Traditional definitions of exPHT rely on absolute cut-offs, such as mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) above 30 mmHg during exercise. However, recent research suggests that these cut-offs may not accurately reflect pathophysiological changes, leading to false positives and false negatives. Instead, the mPAP over cardiac output (CO) slope, which incorporates both pressure and flow measurements, has emerged as a more reliable indicator. A slope exceeding 3 mmHg/L/min is now considered diagnostic for exPHT and strongly correlates with adverse outcomes. Stress echocardiography serves as a viable alternative to invasive assessment, enabling broader implementation. This review discusses the physiological basis of pulmonary hemodynamics during exercise, the advantages of the mPAP/CO slope over absolute pressure measurements, the evidence supporting its inclusion in clinical guidelines, and provides a practical guide for non-invasive determining the mPAP/CO slope in clinical practice., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: Half of patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) remain undiagnosed by resting evaluation alone. Therefore, exercise testing is proposed. The diastolic stress test (DST), however, has limited sensitivity. We aimed to determine the clinical significance of adding the mean pulmonary artery pressure over cardiac output (mPAP/CO) slope to the DST in suspected HFpEF., Methods and Results: In this prospective cohort study, consecutive patients (n=1936) with suspected HFpEF underwent exercise echocardiography with simultaneous respiratory gas analysis. These patients were stratified by exercise E over e ' (exE/ e ') and mPAP/CO slope, and peak oxygen uptake, natriuretic peptides (NT-proBNP [N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide]), and score-based HFpEF likelihood were compared. Twenty-two percent of patients (n=428) had exE/ e '<15 despite a mPAP/CO slope>3 mm Hg/L per min, 24% (n=464) had a positive DST (exE/ e '≥15), and 54% (n=1044) had a normal DST and slope. Percentage of predicted oxygen uptake was similar in the group with exE/ e '<15 but high mPAP/CO slope and the positive DST group (-2% [-5% to +1%]), yet worse than in those with normal DST and slope (-12% [-14% to -9%]). Patients with exE/ e '<15 but a high slope had NT-proBNP levels and H 2 FPEF (heavy, hypertensive, atrial fibrillation, pulmonary hypertension, elder; filling pressure) scores intermediate to the positive DST group and the group with both a normal DST and slope., Conclusions: Twenty-two percent of patients with suspected HFpEF presented with a mPAP/CO slope>3 mm Hg/L per min despite a negative DST. These patients had HFpEF characteristics and a peak oxygen uptake as low as patients with a positive DST. Therefore, an elevated mPAP/CO slope might indicate HFpEF irrespective of the DST result.

Background: In patients with low-gradient aortic stenosis (AS) and low transvalvular flow, dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) is recommended to determine AS severity, whereas the degree of aortic valve calcification (AVC) supposedly correlates with AS severity according to current European and American guidelines., Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between AVC and AS severity as determined using echocardiography and DSE in patients with aortic valve area <1 cm 2 and peak aortic valve velocity <4.0 m/s., Methods: All patients underwent DSE to determine AS severity and multislice computed tomography to quantify AVC. Receiver-operating characteristics curve analysis was used to assess the diagnostic value of AVC for AS severity grading as determined using echocardiography and DSE in men and women., Results: A total of 214 patients were included. Median age was 78 years (25th-75th percentile: 71-84 years) and 25% were women. Left ventricular ejection fraction was reduced (<50%) in 197 (92.1%) patients. Severe AS was diagnosed in 106 patients (49.5%). Moderate AS was diagnosed in 108 patients (50.5%; in 77 based on resting transthoracic echocardiography, in 31 confirmed using DSE). AVC score was high (≥2,000 for men or ≥1,200 for women) in 47 (44.3%) patients with severe AS and in 47 (43.5%) patients with moderate AS. AVC sensitivity was 44.3%, specificity was 56.5%, and positive and negative predictive values for severe AS were 50.0% and 50.8%, respectively. Area under the receiver-operating characteristics curve was 0.508 for men and 0.524 for women., Conclusions: Multi-slice computed tomography-derived AVC scores showed poor discrimination between grades of AS severity using DSE and cannot replace DSE in the diagnostic work-up of low-gradient severe AS., Competing Interests: Funding Support and Author Disclosures Dr Van Mieghem has received grant support/research contracts from Abbott Vascular, Boston Scientific, Medtronic, Edwards Lifesciences, Daiichy Sankyo, AstraZeneca, and PulseCath BV; and has received consulting/speaker fees from Abbot Vascular, Boston Scientific Corporation, Medtronic, Daiichy Sankyo, PulseCath BV, JenaValve, and Amgen. Dr Mehran has received grant support/research contracts from Abbott, Abiomed, Alleviant Medical, Amgen, AM-Pharma, Arena Pharmaceuticals, AstraZeneca, Atricure Inc, Biosensors, Biotronik, Boston Scientific, Bristol-Myers Squibb, CardiaWave, CeloNova, Chiesi, Concept Medical, Cytsorbents, Daiichy-Sankyo, Element Science, Faraday, Humacyte, Idorsia Pharmaceuticals, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Magenta, MedAlliance, Mediasphere, Medtelligence, Medtronic, MJH Healthcare, Novartis, OrbusNeich, Penumbra, PhaseBio, Philips, Pi-Cardia, PLx Pharma, Protembis, RenalPro, RM Global, Shockwave Medical, Vivasure, and Zoll; has received consulting/speaker fees from AstraZeneca, E.R. Squibb and Sons LLC, Esperion Science/Innovativa Biopharma, Ionis Pharmaceuticals, IQVIA, J-Calc, McVeigh Global, Novartis, Novo Nordisk, Overcome, Primer Healthcare of New Jersey, Radcliffe, SL Solutions, TARSUS Cardiology, Vectura, and WebMD; and she has equity in Applied Therapeutics, Elixir, and STEL. Dr Mehran’s spouse has equity in ControlRad. Dr Kodali has received grant support/research contracts from Admedus, Dura Biotech, Edwards Lifesciences, Medtronic, Abbott Vascular, Boston Scientific, and JenaValve; has received consulting/speaker fees from Admedus, Dura Biotech, TriCares, X-Dot, Tioga, Helix Valve Repair, and Moray Medical; and has equity in Dura Biotech, Microinterventional Devices, Thubrika Aortic Valve Inc, Supira, Admedus, Triflo, and Adona. Dr Hahn has received consulting/speaker fees from Abbott Structural, Medtronic, Edwards Lifesciences, Boston Scientific, Baylis Medical, Navigate, Philips Healthcare, Siemens Healthcare, and 3mensio; and has equity in Navigate. Dr Bax has received grant support/research contracts from Biotronic, Boston Scientific, Medtronic, Bayer AG, and Edwards Lifesciences; and has received consulting/speaker fees from Abbott Vascular and Edwards Lifesciences. Drs Veulemans and Zeus have received consulting fees, travel expenses, or study honoraria from Medtronic, Edwards Lifesciences, and Boston Scientific. All other authors have reported that they have no relationships relevant to the contents of this paper to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Non-invasive imaging plays an increasingly important role in emergency medicine, given the trend towards smaller, portable ultrasound devices, the integration of ultrasound imaging across diverse medical disciplines, and the growing evidence supporting its clinical benefits for the patient. Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) provides a compelling illustration of the impactful role that imaging plays in distinguishing diverse clinical presentations of heart failure with numerous associated comorbidities, including pulmonary, renal, or hepatic diseases. While a preserved left ventricular ejection fraction might misguide the clinician away from diagnosing cardiac disease, there are several clues provided by cardiac, vascular, and lung ultrasonography, as well as other imaging modalities, to rapidly identify (decompensated) HFpEF. Congestion remains the primary reason why patients with heart failure (irrespective of ejection fraction) seek emergency care. Furthermore, comprehensive phenotyping is becoming increasingly important, considering the development of targeted treatments for conditions exhibiting HFpEF physiology, such as cardiac amyloidosis. Timely recognition in such cases has lasting implications for long-term outcomes., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: none declared., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest None.

Mitral regurgitation (MR) is highly prevalent among patients with heart failure and preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Despite this combination being closely associated with unfavourable outcomes, it remains relatively understudied. This is partly due to the inherent heterogeneity of patients with HFpEF. To address this gap, dissecting HFpEF into mechanism-based phenotypes may offer a promising avenue for advancing our comprehension of these complex intertwined conditions. This review employs the validated CircAdapt model to explore the haemodynamic implications of moderate to severe MR across a well-defined spectrum of myocardial disease, characterized by impaired relaxation and reduced myocardial compliance. Both heart failure and mitral valve disease share overlapping symptomatology, primarily attributed to elevated pulmonary pressures. The intricate mechanisms contributing to these elevated pressures are multifaceted, potentially influenced by diastolic dysfunction, left atrial myopathy, and MR. Accurate evaluation of the haemodynamic and clinical impact of MR necessitates a comprehensive approach, taking into account the characteristics of both the left atrium and left ventricle, as well as their intricate interactions, which may currently be underemphasized in diagnostic practice. This holistic assessment is imperative for enhancing our understanding and refining therapeutic strategies within this patient cohort., (© 2024 European Society of Cardiology.)

Aims: Exercise-induced pulmonary hypertension (PH), defined by a mean pulmonary arterial pressure over cardiac output (mPAP/CO) slope >3 mmHg/L/min, has important diagnostic and prognostic implications. The aim of this study is to investigate the value of the mPAP/CO slope in patients with more than moderate primary mitral regurgitation (MR) with preserved ejection fraction and no or discordant symptoms., Methods and Results: A total of 128 consecutive patients were evaluated with exercise echocardiography and cardiopulmonary testing. Clinical outcome was defined as the composite of mitral valve intervention, new-onset atrial fibrillation, cardiovascular hospitalization, and all-cause mortality. The mean age was 63 years, 61% were male, and the mean LVEF was 66 ± 6%. The mPAP/CO slope correlated with peak VO2 (r = -0.52, P < 0.001), while the peak systolic pulmonary artery pressure (sPAP) did not (r = -0.06, P = 0.584). Forty-six per cent (n = 59) had peak exercise sPAP ≥60 mmHg, and 37% (n = 47) had mPAP/CO slope >3 mmHg/L/min. Event-free survival was 55% at 1 year and 46% at 2 years, with reduced survival in patients with mPAP/CO slope >3 mmHg/L/min (hazard ratio, 4.9; 95% confidence interval, 2.9-8.2; P < 0.001). In 53 cases (41%), mPAP/CO slope and peak sPAP were discordant: patients with slope >3 mmHg/L/mmHg and sPAP <60 mmHg (n = 21) had worse outcome vs. peak sPAP ≥60 mmHg and normal slope (n = 32, log-rank P = 0.003). The mPAP/CO slope improved predictive models for outcome, incremental to resting and exercise sPAP, and peak VO2., Conclusion: Exercise PH defined by the mPAP/CO slope >3 mmHg/L/min is associated with decreased exercise capacity and a higher risk of adverse events in significant primary MR and no or discordant symptoms. The slope provides a greater prognostic value than single sPAP measures and peak VO2., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: None declared., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Surgical correction of severe mitral regurgitation (MR) can reverse left ventricular (LV) remodeling in patients with mitral valve prolapse (MVP). However, whether this process is similar to the case in Barlow's Disease (BD) and Fibro-elastic Deficiency (FED) is currently unknown. The aim of this study is to evaluate post-operative LV reverse remodeling and function in patients with BD versus FED. In this study, 100 MVP patients (BD = 37 and FED = 63) with severe MR who underwent mitral valve surgery at three Belgian centers were retrospectively included. Transthoracic echocardiography was used to assess MR severity, LV volumes and function before surgery and 6 months thereafter. Baseline MR severity, LV ejection fraction (LVEF), indexed LV end-diastolic (LVEDVi) and end-systolic volumes (LVESVi) were not different between the groups. After a median follow-up of 278 days, there was a similar decrease in LVEDVi, but a trend towards a smaller decrease in LVESVi in BD compared to FED (-3.0 ± 11.2 mL/m 2 vs. -5.3 ± 9.0 mL/m 2 ; p = 0.154). This resulted in a significantly larger decrease in LVEF in BD (-8.3 ± 9.6%) versus FED (-3.9 ± 6.9%) after adjusting for baseline LVEF ( p < 0.001) and type of surgical intervention ( p = 0.01). These findings suggest that LV (reverse) remodeling in BD could be affected by other mechanisms beyond volume overload, potentially involving concomitant cardiomyopathy.