Evaluation of left ventricular diastolic function in patients operated for aortic stenosis

PLoS One. 2022 Feb 25;17(2):e0263824. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0263824. eCollection 2022.

Abstract

Background: Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction is common in patients with aortic valve stenosis (AS) and reportedly affects prognosis after surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR). Here we investigated whether and how diastolic function (assessed following the most recent guidelines) was affected by SAVR, and whether preoperative diastolic function affected postoperative outcome. We also examined whether long-term mortality was associated with preoperative NT-proBNP and postoperative heart failure (PHF).

Methods: We performed a prospective observational study of 273 patients with AS who underwent AVR with or without concomitant coronary artery bypass surgery. Of these patients, 247 were eligible for assessment of left ventricular (LV) filling pressure. Preoperatively and at the 6-month postoperative follow-up, we measured N-terminal pro-B type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) in serum and assessed diastolic function with Doppler echocardiography. PHF was diagnosed using prespecified criteria. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to explore variables associated with high LV filling pressure. Cox regression was performed to explore variables associated with mortality, accounting for timeto-event.

Results: At the time of surgery, 22% (n = 54) of patients had diastolic dysfunction expressed as high LV filling pressure. Of these 54 patients, 27 (50%) showed postoperative diastolic function improvement. Among the 193 patients with preoperative low LV filling pressure, 24 (12%) showed postoperative diastolic function deterioration. Increased long-term mortality was associated with PHF and high preoperative NT-proBNP, but not with preoperative or postoperative diastolic dysfunction. Cox regression revealed the following independent risk factors for long-term mortality: diabetes, renal dysfunction, preoperative NT-proBNP>960 ng/L, age, and male gender.

Conclusions: Surgery for aortic stenosis improved diastolic function in patients with high LV filling pressure in 50% of the patients. Our results could not confirm the previously suggested role of diastolic dysfunction as a marker for poor long-term survival after SAVR. Our findings showed that both PHF and high preoperative NT-proBNP were associated with long-term mortality.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Observational Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Aortic Valve Stenosis* / blood
  • Aortic Valve Stenosis* / diagnostic imaging
  • Aortic Valve Stenosis* / physiopathology
  • Aortic Valve Stenosis* / surgery
  • Aortic Valve* / diagnostic imaging
  • Aortic Valve* / physiopathology
  • Aortic Valve* / surgery
  • Echocardiography, Doppler*
  • Female
  • Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation*
  • Humans
  • Longitudinal Studies
  • Male
  • Natriuretic Peptide, Brain / blood*
  • Peptide Fragments / blood*
  • Prospective Studies
  • Ventricular Function, Left

Substances

  • Peptide Fragments
  • pro-brain natriuretic peptide (1-76)
  • Natriuretic Peptide, Brain

Grants and funding

Financial support was received from Medical Research Council of Southeast Sweden (FORS) and ALF grants from Countyy Council of Östergötland and Linköping University, Sweden. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.