Abstract

Introduction: Risk assessment of mixed aortic valve disease (MAVD: concomitant aortic stenosis [AS] and regurgitation [AR]) patients is challenging, especially in non-severe lesions. In fact, these patients often present LV dysfunction after aortic valve replacement (AVR), and concomitant non-severe lesions appear to have similar outcomes than severe AS. Objective: We aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) ratio in risk stratification of MAVD patients. Methods: A total of 582 consecutive MAVD patients (mean age 73±11 years, 63% men) with at least concomitant mild AS and AR in whom a measurement of NT-proBNP during the same episode of care was available were included. NT-proBNP ratio (i.e., plasma level divided by maximal normal values for age and sex derived from Mayo Clinic laboratory) was calculated. In subgroups analyses, patients were divided according to MAVD pattern (severe AS or AR [n=364] and non-severe AS/AR [n=218]) and according to treatment strategy (early AVR [i.e., ≤3 months, n=429] or initial medical treatment [MT; n=153]). Results: Baseline median NT-proBNP ratio was 3.5 (IQR: 1.2-10.0). A total of 105 patients died during a median follow-up of 5.6 (2.8-6.1) years. Overall, NT-proBNP ratio ≥3 was significantly associated with long-term all-cause mortality in multivariable analyses adjusted for clinical and echocardiographic parameters as well as AVR as a time-dependent variable . NT-proBNP-ratio also showed incremental prognostic value at 1, 2 and 5 years over EuroSCORE II and echocardiographic parameters (all, net reclassification index >0.45; p≤0.005). In all subgroups, NT-proBNP-ratio ≥3 remained independently associated with excess mortality ( severe AS or AR - HR[95CI]: 3.30[1.54-7.05], non-severe AS/AR : 2.14[1.03-4.43], early AVR : 2.48[1.16-5.39], initial MT : 2.72[1.02-7.22]; all p≤0.04). In patients who underwent early AVR, NT-proBNP-ratio ≥3 was also associated with higher 30-days mortality (9[4%] vs. 1[0.5%], p=0.02). Conclusions: In this series of MAVD patients, NT-proBNP-ratio was a powerful predictor of mortality, even in non-severe lesions, early AVR and medically treated patients. AVR may be reasonable before reaching an NT-proBNP-ratio ≥3.

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