The power of optimal medical therapy in heart failure with secondary mitral regurgitation

Abstract

Abstract Background Guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) for the management of heart failure (HF) may impact on the frequency of severe secondary mitral regurgitation (SMR). Objective To evaluate the impact of optimization of GDMT on the grade of SMR in a cohort of HF patients managed in a multidisciplinary HF clinic and to assess predictors and prognosis of deterioration of SMR. Methods In a prospective, consecutive, observational registry of HF patients, a 2-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography was performed at baseline and at 1 year of follow-up. Patients treated with surgical or interventional mitral valve repair were excluded. The primary endpoint was all-cause death. Results Of a total of 2.980 HF patients, 1814 patients had 2 echocardiograms performed 1 year apart. At baseline, 99 patients had a severe SMR (5.5%), 389 (21.4%) moderate and the remainder had mild, trace or none SMR. After 1-year, 80.8% of those with baseline severe SMR presented a regression to non-severe SMR, 66.6% of those with moderate SMR regressed to mild SMR and 1.1% of those with non-severe SMR at baseline worsened to severe SMR. Older age (OR 1.42 per every decade; 95% CI 1.19-1.69, p<0.001), ischaemic aetiology of HF (OR 1.64; 95% CI 1.11-2.42, p<0.001) and baseline NTproBNP (OR 1.19; 95% CI 1.08-1.32, p<0.001) were independently associated with worsening of SMR at 1 year of follow-up. Patients with baseline severe SMR that improved at 1 year had a similar risk of the primary endpoint to those with non-severe SMR at both time points (HR 0.93; 95% CI 0.62-1.42; p=0.75), even after adjusting for age, sex and LVEF (HR 0.99; 95% CI 0.65-1.52; p= 0.98). On the contrary, patients with non-severe SMR that worsen showed the worst prognosis (Figure 1). Conclusions Most of the patients with HF and severe SMR show a regression of SMR within 1 year of GDMT. Patients with baseline severe SMR that improved at 1 year have a similar prognosis than those with non-severe SMR at both time points. Older age, ischaemic aetiology and higher levels of NTproBNP were associated with deterioration of SMR.Table 1.Population characteristicsFigure 1.Survival curves