Significance and prognostic impact of v wave on pulmonary artery pressure in patients with heart failure: beyond the wedge pressure

Abstract

A v wave on pulmonary artery wedge (PAW) pressure sometimes augments and appears on pulmonary artery (PA) pressure wave in patients with heart failure (HF). However, the significance of PA v wave in HF remains to be elucidated. We retrospectively analyzed pressure waveforms in 61 HF patients (left ventricular ejection fraction 35 ± 15%). On the PAW and PA pressure waveforms, mean pressure as well as peak and amplitude of v waves (ampPAWv and ampPAv, respectively) were measured. Occurrence of worsening HF and cardiac death was recorded for 2years after the catheterization. The ampPAWv did not correlate with ampPAv. When the patients were divided into 4 groups: I (high-ampPAWv/high-ampPAv), II (high-ampPAWv/low-ampPAv), III (low-ampPAWv/high-ampPAv), and IV (low-ampPAWv/low-ampPAv), the prevalence of group III was low (I: 13, II: 17, III: 4, IV: 27). Mean pressures of PAW and PA were similarly elevated in groups I and II. Cardiac index was lowest (I: 2.0 ± 0.4, II: 2.8 ± 0.6, III: 2.2 ± 0.2, IV: 2.4 ± 0.6L/min/m2, ANOVA P < 0.01, P < 0.01 for I vs II) and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion / systolic PA pressure was impaired (I: 0.27 ± 0.07, II: 0.48 ± 0.22, III: 0.59 ± 0.35, IV: 0.68 ± 0.35mm/mmHg, ANOVA P < 0.01) in group I. During the follow-up, 13 events were observed. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that patients in group I were at highest risk of cardiac events. PA v was observed mainly in patients with augmented PAW v wave and decreased cardiac index, suggesting an advanced stage of HF. Moreover, augmented PAv was associated with worse outcome in HF patients.