Role for Vascular Factors in Long-Term Outcomes After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation.

Despite major technological advances, 1-year morbi-mortality after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is still high. Further outcome improvements may be obtained provided proper identification of prognostic factors. A change of prognostic value over time should be the hallmark of an outcome-implicated factor. In 1,425 patients treated by TAVI, the examined prognostic factors were: demographic factors and co-morbidities (age, male gender, glomerular filtration rate, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), cardiac function (left ventricular ejection fraction, pulmonary pressure, aortic gradient, dyspnea, and mitral regurgitation), and vascular factors (coronary artery disease, peripheral vascular disease (PVD), previous stroke, and thoracic aortic calcium-TAC-as assessed by CT scan). Cox models were used to analyze cardiovascular and all-cause mortalities over 3 years of follow-up. The time-dependent effects of the factors were analyzed using the distribution of Schoenfeld residuals. During the study period, 375 (26.3%) deaths occurred of whom 248 (17.4%) from cardiovascular causes. Only 2 factors associated with cardiovascular or all-cause mortality showed significant changes over time: dyspnea and PVD. The effect of dyspnea on cardiovascular mortality decreased over time (first- and third-year hazard ratios [95% confidence intervals]: 1.47 [1.10; 1.96] and 0.94 [0.55; 1.63], respectively), whereas the effect of PVD increased (first- and third-year hazard ratios: 0.87 [0.56; 1.35] and 2.58 [1.25; 5.33], respectively). TAC had a stable effect. In conclusion, the detrimental effects of vascular factors remained stable (TAC) or increased (PVD) over time. These factors should be targeted by specific measures to improve post-TAVI outcomes.

Development of a Risk Score Based on Aortic Calcification to Predict 1-Year Mortality After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to develop a new scoring system based on thoracic aortic calcification (TAC) to predict 1-year cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. BACKGROUND: A calcified aorta is often associated with poor prognosis after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). A risk score encompassing aortic calcification may be valuable in identifying poor TAVR responders. METHODS: The C4CAPRI (4 Cities for Assessing CAlcification PRognostic Impact) multicenter study included a training cohort (1,425 patients treated using TAVR between 2010 and 2014) and a contemporary test cohort (311 patients treated in 2015). TAC was measured by computed tomography pre-TAVR. CAPRI risk scores were based on the linear predictors of Cox models including TAC in addition to comorbidities and demographic, atherosclerotic disease and cardiac function factors. CAPRI scores were constructed and tested in 2 independent cohorts. RESULTS: Cardiovascular and all-cause mortality at 1 year was 13.0% and 17.9%, respectively, in the training cohort and 8.2% and 11.8% in the test cohort. The inclusion of TAC in the model improved prediction: 1-cm3 increase in TAC was associated with a 6% increase in cardiovascular mortality and a 4% increase in all-cause mortality. The predicted and observed survival probabilities were highly correlated (slopes >0.9 for both cardiovascular and all-cause mortality). The model's predictive power was fair (AUC 68% [95% confidence interval [CI]: 64% to 72%]) for both cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. The model performed similarly in the training and test cohorts. CONCLUSIONS: The CAPRI score, which combines the TAC variable with classical prognostic factors, is predictive of 1-year cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. Its predictive performance was confirmed in an independent contemporary cohort. CAPRI scores are highly relevant to current practice and strengthen the evidence base for decision making in valvular interventions. Its routine use may help prevent futile procedures.

Plasma NT-proBNP mirrors the deleterious cardiovascular and renal continuum in hypertension.

Background The aims of this study were (a) to test the ability of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) to detect subclinical target organ damage (TOD) denoted by left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), aortic stiffness or renal damage and (b) to test its reproducibility in two different conditions in an ancillary study. Methods The study included 837 patients (50.9% men) with hypertension aged 50 ± 24 years with a median 24-h ambulatory blood pressure (BP) of 148/90 mmHg. LVH was assessed by transthoracic echocardiography and echocardiography, aortic stiffness was assessed by carotid-femoral pulse wave (PWV) measurements and renal dysfunction by measurements of the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and microalbuminuria. Results After the exclusion of patients with a history of heart failure, NT-proBNP was independently correlated with sex, systolic BP, primary hypertension, PWV, LVH and eGFR, but not with microalbuminuria. The median (interquartile range) NT-proBNP increased gradually according to the number of target organs damaged: 42 (24-70), 77 (39-151), 141 (81-250) and 334 (177-556) pg/mL, for damage to 0, 1, 2 and 3 target organs, respectively ( p < 0.001). . For the same number of target organs damaged, NT-proBNP was higher in women and for secondary hypertension. A threshold at 90 pg/mL for men and 142 pg/mL in women had a specificity of 95% to detect at least one TOD (areas under ROC curve 0.790 and 0.783, respectively). The reproducibility of NT-proBNP was fairly good in this setting ( r = 0.952, p < 0.001, N = 325) Conclusion This study demonstrates that NT-proBNP mirrors the harmful effect of high BP on TOD. NT-proBNP could be used as an integrative tool for risk stratification in hypertension.