Left ventricular response after cardiac resynchronization therapy is related to early left atrial volume reduction

Background/aims: The current study aimed to elucidate a time-course change in left atrial volume after cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) and to verify factors associated with left atrial volume reduction (LAVR) and its prognostic implications. Methods: The records of 97 patients were retrospectively reviewed after CRT. Echocardiographic data were analyzed at baseline before CRT, at early follow-up (FU) (≤ 1 year, median 6 months), and at late FU (median 30 months). Left ventricular volume response (LVVR) was defined as 15% reduction in left ventricular (LV) end-systolic volume (ESV). LAVR was classified into two groups by the median value at early FU: LAVR (≥ 7.5%) and no LAVR (< 7.5%). Results: LV ESV index continuously decreased from baseline to early FU and from early FU to late FU (106.1 ± 47.4 mL/m2 vs. 87.6 ± 51.6 mL/m2 vs. 72.5 ± 57.1 mL/m2). LA volume index decreased from baseline to early FU, but there were no reductions thereafter (51.8 ± 21.9 mL/m2 vs. 45.1 ± 19.6 mL/m2 vs. 44.9 ± 23.0 mL/m2). The only echocardiographic factor associated with LAVR was change in E velocity (odds ratio [OR], 1.04; p = 0.002). Early LAVR (OR, 10.05; p = 0.002) was an independent predictor for late LVVR. Conclusion: LAVR was related to reduction in E velocity, suggesting its relation with optimization of LV filling pressure. Early LAVR was a predictor for LVVR to CRT in long-term FU.ope

Predictors of Long-Term Outcomes of Percutaneous Mitral Valvuloplasty in Patients with Rheumatic Mitral Stenosis.

PURPOSE: We determined factors associated with long-term outcomes of patients who underwent successful percutaneous mitral balloon valvuloplasty (PMV). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between August 1980 and May 2013, 1187 patients underwent PMV at Severance Hospital, Seoul, Korea. A total of 742 patients who underwent regular clinic visits for more than 10 years were retrospectively analyzed. The endpoints consisted of repeated PMV, mitral valve (MV) surgery, and cardiovascular-related death. RESULTS: The optimal result, defined as a post-PMV mitral valve area (MVA) >1.5 cm² and mitral regurgitation ≤Grade II, was obtained in 631 (85%) patients. Over a mean follow up duration of 214±50 months, 54 (7.3%) patients underwent repeat PMV, 4 (0.5%) underwent trido-PMV, and 248 (33.4%) underwent MV surgery. A total of 33 patients (4.4%) had stroke, and 35 (4.7%) patients died from cardiovascular-related reasons. In a multivariate analysis, echocardiographic score [p=0.003, hazard ratio=1.56, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01-2.41] and post-MVA cut-off (p<0.001, relative risk=0.39, 95% CI: 0.37-0.69) were the only significant predictors of long-term clinical outcomes after adjusting for confounding variables. A post-MVA cut-off value of 1.76 cm² showed satisfactory predictive power for poor long-term clinical outcomes. CONCLUSION: In this long-term follow up study (up to 20 years), an echocardiographic score >8 and post-MVA ≤1.76 cm² were independent predictors of poor long-term clinical outcomes after PMV, including MV reintervention, stroke, and cardiovascular-related deathope

Accessory pathway-related left ventricular wall motion abnormality and the effects of radiofrequency catheter ablation in patients with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome

INTRODUCTION: The objective of the current study was to elucidate the effects of the accessory pathways (APs) on the left ventricular (LV) wall motion and radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) on AP-related regional wall motion abnormality (RWMA) in patients with Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome. METHODS AND RESULTS: We included 348 consecutive patients (age, 37.6 ± 17.3 years; men, 58.3%) with WPW syndrome who underwent RFCA for AP. We analyzed electrocardiographic data, the AP location, LV ejection fraction (LVEF), and RWMA patterns and their changes after RFCA. The locations of APs were right, septal, and left in 78, 94, and 176 patients, respectively. RWMA at the AP location (44.9%, 51.1%, and 17.6%, respectively; P < 0.001), decreased LVEF (10.3%, 6.4%, and 1.1%, respectively; P = 0.004), and dyskinesia (16.7%, 16.0%, and 1.1%, respectively; P < 0.001) were significantly more frequent in patients with a right or septal AP than in those with a left AP. In 31 of 50 patients with RWMA who underwent post-RFCA echocardiography (62.0%), RWMA was completely improved after RFCA. Right AP (odds ratio [OR], 22.084; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.628-134.420; P = 0.001) and dyskinesia (OR, 6.275; 95% CI, 1.186-33.213; P = 0.031) were significantly associated with the absence of RWMA improvement after RFCA. CONCLUSIONS: AP-related RWMA is frequent in patients with right or septal APs. A substantial number of patients with right AP or dyskinesia may show no improvement in RWMA after RFCA.restrictio