Abstract
BackgroundSignificant aortic regurgitation (AR) leads to left ventricular (LV) remodeling; however, little data exist regarding sex-based differences in LV remodeling in this setting. We sought to compare LV remodeling and AR severity, assessed by echocardiography and cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR), to discern sex-based differences.MethodsPatients with ≥ moderate chronic AR by echocardiography who underwent CMR within 90 days between December 2005 and October 2015 were included. Nonlinear regression models were built to assess the effect of AR regurgitant fraction (RF) on LV remodeling. A generalized linear model and Bland Altman analyses were constructed to evaluate differences between CMR and echocardiography. Referral for surgical intervention based on symptoms and LV remodeling was evaluated.ResultsOf the 243 patients (48.3 ± 16.6 years, 58 (24%) female), 119 (49%) underwent surgical intervention with a primary indication of severe AR, 97 (82%) men, 22 (18%) women. Significant sex differences in LV remodeling emerged on CMR. Women demonstrated significantly smaller LV end-diastolic volume index (LVEDVI) (96.8 ml/m2 vs 125.6 ml/m2, p < 0.001), LV end-systolic volume index (LVESVI) (41.1 vs 54.5 ml/m2, p < 0.001), blunted LV dilation in the setting of increasing AR severity (LVEDVI p value < 0.001, LVESVI p value 0.011), and LV length indexed (8.32 vs 9.69 cm, p < 0.001). On Bland Altman analysis, a significant interaction with sex and LV diameters was evident, demonstrating a significant increase in the difference between CMR and echocardiography measurements as the LV enlarged in women: LVEDVI (p = 0.006), LVESVI (p < 0.001), such that echocardiographic measurements increasingly underestimated LV diameters in women as the LV enlarged. LV length was higher for males with a linear effect from RF (p < 0.001), with LV length increasing at a higher rate with increasing RF for males compared to females (two-way interaction with sex p = 0.005). Sphericity volume index was higher for men after adjusting for a relative wall thickness (p = 0.033).ConclusionsCMR assessment of chronic AR revealed significant sex differences in LV remodeling and significant echocardiographic underestimation of LV dilation, particularly in women. Defining optimal sex-based CMR thresholds for surgical referral should be further developed.Trial registration: NA.
Highlights
Chronic aortic regurgitation (AR) results in left ventricular (LV) remodeling; the extent of LV remodeling in patients with hemodynamically significant AR is not uniform and it is unknown as to how variation in LV remodeling may contribute to the development of symptoms [1, 2]
cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) assessed LV diameters, indexed by height, were significantly larger in women; though this difference was not significant when indexed by body surface area (BSA)
Echocardiographic and CMR measurements according to aortic valve morphology, indexed by BSA and height are listed in Additional file 1: Supplementary Tables 1 and 2, respectively
Summary
Chronic aortic regurgitation (AR) results in left ventricular (LV) remodeling; the extent of LV remodeling in patients with hemodynamically significant AR is not uniform and it is unknown as to how variation in LV remodeling may contribute to the development of symptoms [1, 2]. While prior echocardiographic studies have not revealed significant sex-based differences, these studies may have been underpowered to discern such differences in LV remodeling due to variability in echocardiographic measurements, as well as the small proportion of women in these studies [1, 8,9,10]. It is unknown if limitations in echocardiographic measurements accuracy of LV remodeling have obscured sex-based differences. We sought to compare LV remodeling and AR sever‐ ity, assessed by echocardiography and cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR), to discern sex-based differences
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