Article

Exercise pulmonary hypertension in asymptomatic degenerative mitral regurgitation.

Department of Cardiology, Heart Valve Disease Clinic, University Hospital Sart Tilman, University of Liège, Belgium.
Circulation (impact factor: 14.74). 07/2010; 122(1):33-41. DOI:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.110.938241 pp.33-41
Source: PubMed

ABSTRACT Current guidelines recommend mitral valve surgery for asymptomatic patients with severe degenerative mitral regurgitation and preserved left ventricular systolic function when exercise pulmonary hypertension (PHT) is present. However, the determinants of exercise PHT have not been evaluated. The aim of this study was to identify the echocardiographic predictors of exercise PHT and the impact on symptoms.
Comprehensive resting and exercise transthoracic echocardiography was performed in 78 consecutive patients (age, 61+/-13 years; 56% men) with at least moderate degenerative mitral regurgitation (effective regurgitant orifice area =43+/-20 mm(2); regurgitant volume =71+/-27 mL). Exercise PHT was defined as a systolic pulmonary arterial pressure (SPAP) >60 mm Hg. Exercise PHT was present in 46% patients. In multivariable analysis, exercise effective regurgitant orifice was an independent determinant of exercise SPAP (P<0.0001) and exercise PHT (P=0.002). Resting PHT and exercise PHT were associated with markedly reduced 2-year symptom-free survival (36+/-14% versus 59+/-7%, P=0.04; 35+/-8% versus 75+/-7%, P<0.0001). After adjustment, although the impact of resting PHT was no longer significant, exercise PHT was identified as an independent predictor of the occurrence of symptoms (hazard ratio=3.4; P=0.002). Receiver-operating characteristics curves revealed that exercise PHT (SPAP >56 mm Hg) was more accurate than resting PHT (SPAP >36 mm Hg) in predicting the occurrence of symptoms during follow-up (P=0.032).
Exercise PHT is frequent in patients with asymptomatic degenerative mitral regurgitation. Exercise mitral regurgitation severity is a strong independent predictor of both exercise SPAP and exercise PHT. Exercise PHT is associated with markedly low 2-year symptom-free survival, emphasizing the use of exercise echocardiography. An exercise SPAP >56 mm Hg accurately predicts the occurrence of symptoms.

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Keywords

78 consecutive patients
 
asymptomatic degenerative mitral regurgitation
 
asymptomatic patients
 
Current guidelines
 
echocardiographic predictors
 
exercise echocardiography
 
exercise effective regurgitant orifice
 
Exercise mitral regurgitation severity
 
exercise PHT
 
exercise pulmonary hypertension
 
exercise SPAP
 
exercise SPAP >56
 
exercise transthoracic echocardiography
 
independent predictor
 
mitral valve surgery
 
moderate degenerative mitral regurgitation
 
resting PHT
 
severe degenerative mitral regurgitation
 
strong independent predictor
 
ventricular systolic function