Prognostic value of tricuspid annular tissue Doppler velocity in heart failure with atrial fibrillation.

BACKGROUND: Right ventricular function is associated with long-term outcomes of heart failure (HF), particularly with atrial fibrillation (AF). The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of Doppler tissue imaging at the mitral and tricuspid annuli in patients with HF and AF.

METHODS: In this prospective observational study, 457 patients (mean age, 67 years; 283 men) referred for HF with AF were enrolled and underwent conventional echocardiography including pulsed-wave Doppler tissue imaging. Systolic (s') and early diastolic (e') velocities of the tricuspid and mitral annuli were recorded from the apical four-chamber view. The development of clinical adverse events during the follow-up period was defined as the composite of cardiac death and readmission for HF.

RESULTS: During the follow-up period (median, 20 months), 37 patients reached the primary end point (nine deaths and 28 cases of HF). Patients with cardiac events were significantly older and more often had previous HF admissions and diuretic use, higher New York Heart Association classes, and greater average ratios of peak early diastolic mitral inflow to annular velocity. Additionally, Doppler tissue imaging of s' and e' at the tricuspid, septal, and lateral mitral annuli were all reduced. Multivariate analysis showed that tricuspid s' and septal e' remained significant predictors of cardiac events. By Kaplan-Meier analysis, the occurrence of cardiac events was more frequent when tricuspid s' was <9.0 cm/sec (P < .001) and when septal e' was <7.3 cm/sec (P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS: In patients with HF and AF with a high risk for cardiac events, tricuspid s' and septal e' can be independent risk predictors of outcomes.