E/(EaxSa) estimates left ventricular end-diastolic pressure in patients with severe mitral regurgitation.

Background And Aim Of The Study: The early diastolic transmitral velocity/early mitral annular diastolic velocity ratio (E/Ea) reflects left ventricular (LV) filling pressure in a variety of cardiac diseases. The value of this parameter in patients with significant mitral regurgitation (MR) remains controversial. It has been hypothesized that, by combining the index of diastolic function (E/Ea) and a parameter that explores LV systolic performance (Sa, mitral annulus peak systolic velocity), a close prediction of the LV end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) can be provided. Hence, the study aim was to assess the relationship between a new parameter, E/(EaxSa), and LVEDP in patients with severe MR.

Methods: A total of 55 consecutive patients with severe MR, in sinus rhythm, who had been referred for heart catheterization, was analyzed. Echocardiography was performed simultaneously with LVEDP measurements. Both, E/Ea and E/(EaxSa) were calculated, using the average of the velocities of the septal and lateral mitral annulus.

Results: A significant linear correlation was demonstrated between E/(EaxSa) and LVEDP (r = 0.81, p < 0.001); this was superior to E/Ea (r = 0.73, p < 0.001), Sa (r = -0.59, p = 0.004), pulmonary artery systolic pressure (r = 0.57, p = 0.007), E-wave (r = 0.45, p = 0.009), Ea (r = -0.31, p = 0.01), and left atrial volume (r = 0.28, p = 0.02). No significant relationships could be demonstrated between LVEDP and the LV ejection fraction. The area under the receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve for prediction of LVEDP > 15 mmHg was greatest for E/(EaxSa) (AUC = 0.87, p < 0.001), followed by the E/Ea ratio (AUC = 0.81, p < 0.001). A statistical comparison of the ROC curves indicated that E/(EaxSa) was more accurate than E/Ea (p = 0.02). The optimal E/(EaxSa) cut-off to predict a LVEDP > 15 mmHg was 1.95 (85% sensitivity, 83% specificity).

Conclusion: E/(EaxSa) correlates strongly with LVEDP, and can serve as a simple and accurate echocardiographic index for the estimation of LVEDP in patients with severe MR.