Atrial-secondary tricuspid regurgitation: a better prognosis in early stage heart failure, but not in late stage

Abstract

Background and Aims: Although the classification of secondary tricuspid regurgitation (STR) by atrial or ventricular aetiology (A-STR or V-STR) carries prognostic importance, the confounding effects of New York Heart Association (NYHA) class have not yet been elucidated. We aimed to correlate STR and NYHA classification with patient outcomes. Methods: We studied 281 patients with severe STR who presented to 16 French hospitals between 2017 and 2019. Patients were separated into A-STR and V-STR categories using echocardiographic criteria (A-STR = tricuspid tenting height ≤10 mm, right mid-ventricular diameter ≤38 mm, and LVEF ≥ 50%). We tracked time to cardiovascular disease-related hospitalization or death, whichever came first. Results: Of the patients 91/281 (32.7%) had A-STR, 164/281 (58.4%) had mixed/V-STR, and 25/281 (8.9%) could not be classified. Baseline age, labs, comorbidities and NYHA category (Class I–II = mildly symptomatic, Class III–IV = very symptomatic) did not differ between groups (P > 0.05). Although there were no differences in event-free survival among groups (70.7% vs. 65.9%, P = 0.59), this was confounded by NYHA class (P = 0.0104). Thus, among mildly symptomatic patients, estimated 5 year event-free survival was 76.4% in the A-STR group and 53.2% in the mixed/V-STR group (P < 0.05). Among very symptomatic patients, there was no difference in estimated event-free survival (39.4% vs. 17.2%, P > 0.05). Conclusions: Though A-STR carries a more favourable prognosis in mildly symptomatic patients, this distinction is irrelevant in patients with advanced disease. Thus, the value of tricuspid valve intervention may become ‘too little, too late’ if A-STR is not promptly addressed.