Echocardiographic predictors of functional capacity in endomyocardial fibrosis patients

Abstract

AimsEndomyocardial fibrosis (EMF) is a restrictive cardiomyopathy manifested mainly by diastolic heart failure. It is recognized that diastole is an important determinant of exercise capacity. The purpose of this study was to determine whether resting echocardiographic parameters might predict oxygen consumption (VO2p) by ergoespirometry and the prognostic role of functional capacity in EMF patients.Methods and resultsA total of 32 patients with biventricular EMF (29 women, 55.3 ± 11.4 years) were studied by echocardiography and ergoespirometry. The relationship between the echocardiographic indexes and the percentage of predicted VO2p (VO2p) was investigated by the 'stepwise' linear regression analysis. The median VO2p was 11 ± 3 mL/kg/min and the VO2p was 53 ± 9. There was a correlation of VO2p with an average of A′ at four sites of the mitral annulus (A′ peak, r = 0.471, P = 0.023), E′/A′ of the inferior mitral annulus (r = -0.433, P = 0.044), and myocardial performance index (r = -0.352, P = 0.048). On multiple regression analysis, only A′ peak was an independent predictor of VO2p (VO2p= 26.34 + 332.44 × A′ peak). EMF patients with VO2p< 53 had an increased mortality rate with a relative risk of 8.47.ConclusionIn EMF patients, diastolic function plays an important role in determining the limitations to exercise and VO2p has a prognostic value.