Egidio Imbalzano1, Marco Vatrano2, Lorenzo Ghiadoni3, Giuseppe Mandraffino1, Andrea Dalbeni4, Bijoy K Khandheria5, Rossella Costantino6, Giovanni Trapani1, Roberta Manganaro6, Maurizio Cusmà Piccione6, Scipione Carerj6, Roberto Ceravolo2, Antonino Saitta1, Concetta Zito6. 1. Internal Medicine Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria "Policlinico G. Martino" and Universita' degli Studi di Messina, Messina, Italy. 2. Cardiology Unit, Hospital "Pugliese-Ciaccio" of Catanzaro, Italy. 3. Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Italy. 4. Department of Internal Medicine, Policlinic University of Verona, Italy. 5. Aurora Cardiovascular Services, Aurora Sinai/Aurora St. Luke's Medical Centers, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Milwaukee, WI, USA. Electronic address: publishing22@aurora.org. 6. Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, Cardiology Unit, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria "Policlinico G. Martino" and Universita' degli Studi di Messina, Messina, Italy.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: We examined the relative impact of arterial stiffness on the presence and/or severity of chronic mitral regurgitation (MR) in hypertensive patients. METHODS: We prospectively enrolled 141 untreated hypertensive patients (mean age 56.6 ± 11.5 years): 94 with MR, 47 without MR. As a measure of arterial stiffness, pulse wave velocity (PWV) was assessed by applanation tonometry. Assessment of MR severity was obtained through calculation of effective regurgitant orifice area (EROA) and vena contracta by standard two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography. RESULTS: PWV appears to progressively increase according to the presence and severity of MR (no MR = 7.3 ± 1.1 m/s, mild MR = 7.9 ± 1.3 m/s, moderate MR = 9.0 ± 1.7 m/s, severe MR = 13.3 ± 4.1 m/s; P < 0.001 for all comparisons). EROA was positively correlated with age (P = 0.011), left atrial volume index (P = 0.023), PWV (P < 0.001) and augmentation index (P < 0.001), and negatively correlated with left ventricular ejection fraction (P = 0.002) and heart rate (HR) (P = 0.018). On stepwise multivariate logistic regression analysis, only PWV (OR = 2.87, 95% CI 1.750-4.738, P < 0.001) and HR (OR = 0.94, 95% CI 0.895-0.994, P = 0.02) appeared to be independent predictors of severe MR. Receiver operating characteristic curves showed that a cutoff of 9 m/s for PWV provided the best sensitivity/specificity for predicting both the presence of any degree of MR (sensitivity 73%, specificity 87%, AUC = 0.863; P < 0.001) and MR severity (sensitivity 100%, specificity 81%, AUC = 0.954; P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Reduced arterial elasticity because of increased stiffness may be an important marker for the presence and severity of MR in hypertensive patients.
BACKGROUND: We examined the relative impact of arterial stiffness on the presence and/or severity of chronic mitral regurgitation (MR) in hypertensivepatients. METHODS: We prospectively enrolled 141 untreated hypertensivepatients (mean age 56.6 ± 11.5 years): 94 with MR, 47 without MR. As a measure of arterial stiffness, pulse wave velocity (PWV) was assessed by applanation tonometry. Assessment of MR severity was obtained through calculation of effective regurgitant orifice area (EROA) and vena contracta by standard two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography. RESULTS: PWV appears to progressively increase according to the presence and severity of MR (no MR = 7.3 ± 1.1 m/s, mild MR = 7.9 ± 1.3 m/s, moderate MR = 9.0 ± 1.7 m/s, severe MR = 13.3 ± 4.1 m/s; P < 0.001 for all comparisons). EROA was positively correlated with age (P = 0.011), left atrial volume index (P = 0.023), PWV (P < 0.001) and augmentation index (P < 0.001), and negatively correlated with left ventricular ejection fraction (P = 0.002) and heart rate (HR) (P = 0.018). On stepwise multivariate logistic regression analysis, only PWV (OR = 2.87, 95% CI 1.750-4.738, P < 0.001) and HR (OR = 0.94, 95% CI 0.895-0.994, P = 0.02) appeared to be independent predictors of severe MR. Receiver operating characteristic curves showed that a cutoff of 9 m/s for PWV provided the best sensitivity/specificity for predicting both the presence of any degree of MR (sensitivity 73%, specificity 87%, AUC = 0.863; P < 0.001) and MR severity (sensitivity 100%, specificity 81%, AUC = 0.954; P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Reduced arterial elasticity because of increased stiffness may be an important marker for the presence and severity of MR in hypertensivepatients.
Authors: Alberto Lo Gullo; Clemente Giuffrida; Carmela Morace; Giovanni Squadrito; Paola Magnano San Lio; Luisa Ricciardi; Carlo Salvarani; Giuseppe Mandraffino Journal: Front Med (Lausanne) Date: 2022-05-12