Risk stratification scheme. Risk stratification aiming at assessing the risk of VAs and SCD in patients with MVP, involving two phases based on the clinical and imaging context and the uncovered arrhythmia. In the absence of ventricular tachycardia, phenotypic risk features will trigger the intensity of screening for arrhythmia. Green boxes indicate green heart consensus statements and yellow boxes indicate yellow heart consensus statements. High risk - sustained VT, polymorphic NSVT, fast (>180 bpm) NSVT, VT/NSVT resulting in syncope. ICD = implantable cardioverter defibrillator; LA = left atrium; LGE = late gadolinium enhancement; LV-EF = left ventricular ejection fraction; MAD = mitral annular disjunction; MV = mitral valve; PVCs = premature ventricular contractions; TWI = T-wave inversion; VT = ventricular tachycardia. #Additional ECG monitoring method may be used such as loop recorders.

Aims Despite a successful surgical procedure and adherence to current recommendations, postoperative left ventricular (LV) dysfunction after mitral valve repair (MVr) for organic mitral regurgitation (MR) may still occur. New approaches are therefore needed to detect subclinical preoperative LV dysfunction. LV global longitudinal strain (GLS), assessed with speckle-tracking echocardiographic analysis, has been proposed as a novel measure to better depict latent LV dysfunction. The aim of this study was to investigate the value of GLS to predict long-term LV dysfunction after MVr. Methods and results A total of 233 patients (61% men, 61 ± 12 years) with moderate–severe organic MR who underwent successful MVr between 2000 and 2009 were included. Echocardiography was performed at baseline and long-term follow-up (34 ± 20 months) after MVr. LV dysfunction at follow-up was defined as LV ejection fraction (EF) −19.9% were predictors of long-term LV dysfunction. By multivariate analysis, GLS remained an independent predictor of LV dysfunction (odds ratio 23.16, 95% confidence interval: 6.53–82.10, P < 0.001), together with LVESD. Conclusion In a large series of patients operated within the last decade, MVr resulted in a low incidence of long-term LV dysfunction. A GLS of >−19.9% demonstrated to be a major independent predictor of long-term LV dysfunction after adjustment for parameters currently implemented into guidelines.

Background—: The value of left atrial (LA) diameter, volume, and strain to risk stratify hypertrophic cardiomyopathy patients for new-onset atrial fibrillation (AF) was explored. Methods and Results—: A total of 242 hypertrophic cardiomyopathy patients without AF history were evaluated by (speckle-tracking) echocardiography. During mean follow-up of 4.8±3.7 years, 41 patients (17%) developed new-onset AF. Multivariable analysis showed LA volume (≥37 mL/m ² ; hazard ratio, 2.68; 95% confidence interval, 1.30–5.54; P =0.008) and LA strain (≤23.4%; hazard ratio, 3.22; 95% confidence interval, 1.50–6.88; P =0.003), but not LA diameter (≥45 mm; hazard ratio, 1.67; 95% confidence interval, 0.84–3.32; P =0.145), as independent AF correlates. Importantly, 59% (n=24) of AF events occurred despite a baseline LA diameter <45 mm, observed in 185 patients. In this patient subset, LA strain (area under the curve 0.73) and LA volume (area under the curve 0.83) showed good predictive value for new-onset AF. Furthermore, patients with LA volume 23.4% versus ≤23.4% had superior 5-year AF-free survival of 93% versus 80% ( P =0.003) and 98% versus 74% ( P =0.002), respectively. Importantly, LA volume 23.4% yielded high negative predictive value (93% and 98%, respectively) for new-onset AF. Likelihood ratio test indicated incremental value of LA volume assessment ( P =0.011) on top of LA diameter to predict new-onset AF in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy patients with LA diameter <45 mm, which tended to increase further by addition of LA strain ( P =0.126). Conclusions—: LA diameter, volume, and strain all relate to new-onset AF in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy patients. In patients with normal LA size, however, both LA volume and strain further refine risk stratification for new-onset AF.

Background—: Functional mitral regurgitation (MR) is a common finding in heart failure patients with dilated cardiomyopathy and has important prognostic implications. However, the increased operative risk of these patients may result in low referral or high denial rate for mitral valve surgery. Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) has been shown to have a favorable effect on MR. Aims of this study were to (1) evaluate CRT as a therapeutic option in heart failure patients with functional MR and high operative risk and (2) investigate the effect of MR improvement after CRT on prognosis. Methods and Results—: A total of 98 consecutive patients with moderate-severe functional MR and high operative risk underwent CRT according to current guidelines. Echocardiography was performed at baseline and 6-month follow-up; severity of MR was graded according to a multiparametric approach. Significant improvement of MR was defined as a reduction ≥1 grade. All-cause mortality was assessed during follow-up (median 32 [range 6.0 to 116] months). Thirteen patients (13%) died before 6-months follow-up. In the remaining 85 patients, significant reduction in MR was observed in all evaluated parameters. In particular, 42 patients (49%) improved ≥1 grade of MR and were considered MR improvers. Survival was superior in MR improvers compared to MR nonimprovers (log rank P <0.001). Mitral regurgitation improvement was an independent prognostic factor for survival (hazard ratio 0.35, confidence interval 0.13 to 0.94; P =0.043). Conclusions—: Cardiac resynchronization therapy is a potential therapeutic option in heart failure patients with moderate-severe functional MR and high risk for surgery. Improvement in MR results in superior survival after CRT.

Chronic pressure-overload induces right ventricular (RV) adaptation to maintain RV-pulmonary arterial (PA) coupling. RV remodeling is frequently associated with secondary tricuspid regurgitation (TR) which may accelerate uncoupling. Our aim is to determine whether the non-invasive analysis of RV-PA coupling could improve risk stratification in patients with secondary TR. A total of 1,149 patients (median age 72[IQR, 63 to 79] years, 51% men) with moderate or severe secondary TR were included. RV-PA coupling was estimated using the ratio between two standard echocardiographic measurements: tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) and pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP). The risk of all-cause mortality across different values of TAPSE/PASP was analyzed with a spline analysis. The cut-off value of TAPSE/PASP to identify RV-PA uncoupling was based on the spline curve analysis. At the time of significant secondary TR diagnosis the median TAPSE/PASP was 0.35 (IQR, 0.25 to 0.49) mm/mm Hg. A total of 470 patients (41%) demonstrated RV-PA uncoupling (<0.31 mm/mm Hg). Patients with RV-PA uncoupling presented more frequently with heart failure symptoms had larger RV and left ventricular dimensions, and more severe TR compared to those with RV-PA coupling. During a median follow-up of 51 (IQR, 17 to 86) months, 586 patients (51%) died. The cumulative 5-year survival rate was lower in patients with RV-PA uncoupling compared to their counterparts (37% vs 64%, p < 0.001). After correcting for potential confounders, RV-PA uncoupling was the only echocardiographic parameter independently associated with all-cause mortality (HR 1.462; 95% CI 1.192 to 1.793; p < 0.001). In conclusion, RV-PA uncoupling in patients with secondary TR is independently associated with poor prognosis and may improve risk stratification.