Journal of Clinical Medicine
Functional Mitral Regurgitation Trajectories in CRT-Treated HFrEF During Medical Therapy Optimization: Association with Reverse Remodeling
By Oana Pătru, Silvia Ana Luca, Dragoș Constantin Cozma and 6 others.
Abstract
Background
Functional mitral regurgitation (MR) is common in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and may persist despite cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). Sacubitril/valsartan is associated with reverse remodeling in HFrEF, but MR dynamics in CRT-treated patients receiving sacubitril/valsartan remain insufficiently characterized. We aimed to characterize longitudinal changes in MR severity and assess their association with ventricular reverse remodeling in CRT-treated patients with HFrEF receiving sacubitril/valsartan.
Methods
This retrospective cohort study included 188 patients with HFrEF previously treated with CRT who subsequently initiated sacubitril/valsartan. Clinical and echocardiographic assessments were performed at baseline and 10–14 months. The primary endpoint was MR improvement, defined a priori as a reduction of at least one MR grade. Changes in paired MR grade distribution were assessed using Bowker’s test of symmetry. Associations between MR improvement and changes in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), left ventricular end-diastolic volume (LVEDV), and left atrial volume (LAV) were evaluated. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify factors independently associated with MR improvement.