Myocardial work and risk stratification in patients with severe aortic valve stenosis referred for transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

Background: Transcatheter aortic valve replacement(TAVR) has shown clear survival benefits in severe aortic valve stenosis(AS). However, patients unable to recover left ventricle function remain at risk with poor long-term survival. This single-center prospective study aims to analyze the supplementary benefits of myocardial work(MW) assessment for baseline risk stratification in patients with severe AS referred for TAVR.

Methods: A total of 110 patients with severe AS referred for TAVR were included in the study. Baseline ECG data, transthoracic echocardiographic(TTE) images and blood samples were obtained. The TTE examination was repeated one day and one month after valve replacement. The primary outcome of the study was a composite endpoint consisting of all-cause mortality and HF hospitalization.

Results: During a mean follow-up period of 521 ± 343 days, 29patients(26.4 %) reached the composite endpoint. Baseline troponins, NT-proBNP, sST2, GWI and GCW showed statistically significant differences between groups. Patients with a baseline GWI<2323 mmHg% (sensitivity 0.63 and specificity 0.76)had significantly worse outcome following TAVR. A basic predictive model included QRS-length, TAPSE, LAVI and E/e'. The addition of biomarkers did not yield any further advantages whereas incorporating the GWI cut-off value of 2323 mmHg% significantly enhanced the predictive value. Although there were no significant changes in LVEF and GLS, all patients exhibited a significant reduction in GWI and GCW immediately after TAVR.

Conclusion: Our findings provide evidence for the enhanced usefulness of MW analysis in the initial risk stratification of patients with severe AS referred for TAVR. Specifically, a baseline GWI<2323 mmHg% demonstrates an independent predictor associated with increased incidence of all-cause mortality and HF hospitalization following TAVR.