Background: Significant coronary artery disease (CAD) is a common finding in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). Assessment of CAD prior to TAVI is recommended by current guidelines and is mainly performed via invasive coronary angiography (ICA). In this study we analyzed the ability of coronary CT-angiography (cCTA) to rule out significant CAD (stenosis ≥ 50%) during routine pre-TAVI evaluation in patients with high pre-test probability for CAD. Methods: In total, 460 consecutive patients undergoing pre-TAVI CT (mean age 79.6 ± 7.4 years) were included. All patients were examined with a retrospectively ECG-gated CT-scan of the heart, followed by a high-pitch-scan of the vascular access route utilizing a single intravenous bolus of 70 mL iodinated contrast medium. Images were evaluated for image quality, calcifications, and significant CAD; CT-examinations in which CAD could not be ruled out were defined as positive (CAD⁺). Routinely, patients received ICA (388/460; 84.3%; Group A), which was omitted if renal function was impaired and CAD was ruled out on cCTA (Group B). Following TAVI, clinical events were documented during the hospital stay. Results: cCTA was negative for CAD in 40.2% (188/460). Sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV in Group A were 97.8%, 45.2%, 49.6%, and 97.4%, respectively. Median coronary artery calcium score (CAC) was higher in CAD⁺-patients but did not have predictive value for correct classification of patients with cCTA. There were no significant differences in clinical events between Group A and B. Conclusion: cCTA can be incorporated into pre-TAVI CT-evaluation with no need for additional contrast medium. cCTA may exclude significant CAD in a relatively high percentage of these high-risk patients. Thereby, cCTA may have the potential to reduce the need for ICA and total amount of contrast medium applied, possibly making pre-procedural evaluation for TAVI safer and faster.

Tricuspid transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (T-TEER) has emerged as a treatment option for patients with severe tricuspid regurgitation (TR). However, randomized trials have not shown a survival benefit, possibly because of the inclusion of patients in an early or too advanced disease stage. The authors sought to investigate the association between disease stage and outcomes following T-TEER. In total, 1,885 patients with significant TR were analyzed, including 585 conservatively treated individuals and 1,300 patients who received T-TEER. Patients were evaluated as part of the prospective EuroTR (European Registry of Transcatheter Repair for Tricuspid Regurgitation) registry and grouped into early, intermediate, and advanced disease stage. Disease stage was based on left and right ventricular function, renal function, and natriuretic peptide levels. The stratification was validated in an external cohort. The primary endpoint was 1-year mortality. Overall, 395 patients (21% [395/1,885]) were categorized as early, 1,173 patients (62% [1,173/1,885]) as intermediate, and 317 patients (17% [317/1,885]) as advanced disease stage. In patients with early and advanced disease, mortality did not differ between interventional and conservative treatment (early-stage HR: 0.78; 95% CI: 0.34-1.80; P = 0.54; advanced stage HR: 1.06; 95% CI: 0.71-1.60; P = 0.78). However, mortality was significantly lower in patients undergoing percutaneous treatment with intermediate disease stage (HR: 0.73; 95% CI: 0.52-0.99; P = 0.03). Compared to medically treated controls, T-TEER was associated with 1-year survival at intermediate stage disease but not at early or advanced disease stages. The timing of T-TEER with regard to disease stages might be crucial to optimize treatment benefits.

Atrial secondary tricuspid regurgitation (A-STR) has been proposed as an important etiologic subentity of secondary tricuspid regurgitation (STR). Patients with A-STR are frequently treated using transcatheter tricuspid valve edge-to-edge repair (T-TEER). The aims of this study were to evaluate prevalence and outcomes following T-TEER for severe A-STR and to compare the results to patients with nonatrial STR. The study included patients from the EuroTR (European Registry of Transcatheter Repair for Tricuspid Regurgitation) registry who underwent T-TEER for STR from 2016 until 2022. A-STR was defined as a ratio of end-systolic right atrial area to right ventricular area ≥1.5 in the presence of preserved right ventricular function (tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion >17 mm). The primary study endpoint was 2-year survival free from heart failure hospitalization. Secondary endpoints were 2-year survival, tricuspid regurgitation (TR) reduction at discharge and 1-year follow-up as well as changes in NYHA functional class. This study included 641 patients (50% women) with a mean age of 79 ± 7 years. The overall prevalence of A-STR was 31% (n = 196). A-STR was associated with a higher prevalence of atrial fibrillation, less frequent comorbidities, better biventricular function, less leaflet tenting, and larger atria. Although TR severity was comparable at baseline, patients with A-STR had more effective procedural TR reduction (TR ≤2+ in 86.9% vs 80.4% of those with nonatrial STR; P = 0.005). Although NYHA functional class improved in both STR subetiologies, the symptomatic burden was lower in patients with A-STR at the latest available follow-up (NYHA functional class ≥III in 46% of patients with nonatrial STR vs 38% in those with A-STR; P = 0.033). Beyond that, A-STR was associated with higher 2-year survival rates free from heart failure hospitalization (66.3% [Q1-Q3: 58.2%-75.5%] vs 47.5% [Q1-Q3: 41.7%-54.7%] in patients with nonatrial STR; P < 0.001). Median survival follow-up was 379 days [Q1-Q3: 155-697 days]. A-STR is a common phenotype of STR and is associated with effective TR reduction and symptomatic reduction after T-TEER.

Data regarding the association of pulmonary hypertension (PH) and outcomes in patients undergoing transcatheter tricuspid valve edge-to-edge repair (T-TEER) are scarce. To 1) investigate the impact of PH on outcomes after T-TEER and 2) to shed further light into the role of pre- and postcapillary PH in patients undergoing T-TEER for relevant tricuspid regurgitation (TR). The study included patients from the EuroTR registry (NCT06307262) who underwent T-TEER for relevant TR from 2016 until 2023 with available invasive evaluation of sPAP using right heart catheterization. Study endpoints were procedural TR reduction, improvement in New York Heart Association (NYHA) function class and a combined endpoint of death or heart failure hospitalization (HFH) at two-years. Among a total of 1230 patients (mean age 78.6 ±7.0 years; 51.4% women) increasing systolic pulmonary artery pressure (sPAP) was independently associated with increasing rates of two-year death or HFH (hazard ratio 1.027, 95% confidence interval 1.003-1.052, p=0.030; median survival follow up 343 (114-645) days). No significant survival differences were observed for patients with pre- vs. postcapillary PH. Sensitivity analysis revealed a sPAP value of 46 mmHg as optimized threshold for prediction of death or HFH. Being observed in 526 patients (42.8%), elevated sPAP > 46 mmHg was associated with more severe heart failure symptoms at baseline and follow-up. Importantly, NYHA functional class and TR severity significantly improved irrespective of PH. PH is an important outcome predictor in patients undergoing T-TEER for relevant TR. In contrast to previous studies, no significant differences were observed for patients with pre- and postcapillary PH in terms of survival free from HFH.

Right ventricular-pulmonary artery coupling (RVPAC) predicts outcomes after transcatheter tricuspid valve edge-to-edge repair (T-TEER), but its role in patient selection remains unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic implications of RVPAC in a European registry of patients with tricuspid regurgitation undergoing either T-TEER or medical management. Among 1,885 patients with tricuspid regurgitation (n = 585 medical, n = 1,300 T-TEER), 946 were propensity matched (1:1). RVPAC, assessed as the ratio of tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion to systolic pulmonary artery pressure was analyzed for its association with 1-year mortality. RVPAC was significantly associated with mortality (HR: 0.11; 95% CI: 0.04-0.29; P < 0.01), with an optimized cutoff of 0.41 mm/mm Hg. Mortality differed significantly by RVPAC in both treatment groups (log-rank P < 0.01). Across RVPAC tertiles (0.46 mm/mm Hg), tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion increased (14 mm [Q1-Q3: 12-17 mm] vs 18 mm [Q1-Q3: 15-20 mm] vs 21 mm [Q1-Q3: 18-24 mm]; P < 0.01), while systolic pulmonary artery pressure (60 mm Hg [Q1-Q3: 50-70 mm Hg] vs 45 mm Hg [Q1-Q3: 40-52 mm Hg] vs 34 mm Hg [Q1-Q3: 29-41 mm Hg]; P = 0.30) and kidney function (43 mL/min/m² [Q1-Q3: 30-57 mL/min/m²] vs 49 mL/min/m² [Q1-Q3: 38-67 mL/min/m²] vs 53 mL/min/m² [Q1-Q3: 40-69 mL/min/m²]; P = 0.03) declined. Mortality was highest in the low RVPAC tertile, with no difference between treatment modalities (HR: 1.04; 95% CI: 0.68-1.61; P = 0.85). T-TEER was associated with better survival than medical management in the intermediate RVPAC tertile (HR: 0.54; 95% CI: 0.31-0.94; P = 0.03). This difference persisted but weakened in the high RVPAC tertile, with the overall most favorable outcomes (HR: 0.69; 95% CI: 0.35-1.36; P = 0.27). Poorer RVPAC reflects higher baseline risk and mortality, regardless of treatment. T-TEER is associated with better survival across a range of RVPAC values, including those less than previously suggested thresholds.