Impact of Left Ventricular Diastolic Dysfunction and Biomarkers on Pulmonary Hypertension in Patients with Severe Aortic Stenosis

: Severe aortic stenosis (AS) complicated by pulmonary hypertension (PH) is associated with poor outcomes after surgical aortic valve replacement (AVR). There is still scarce information about predictors of secondary PH in this group of patients. : The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic impact of biomarkers together with conventional Doppler echocardiographic parameters of left ventricular diastolic function on elevated pulmonary systolic pressure (PSP) in severe AS patients before surgical AVR. : Sixty patients with severe isolated AS (aortic valve area 14 (OR 6.00; 95% CI, 1.41⁻25.48; = 0.009), MV DT ≤ 177.5 ms (OR 9.31; 95% CI, 2.06⁻41.14; = 0.001), LA volume > 100 mL (OR 9.70; 95% CI, 1.92⁻49.03; = 0.002)) and biomarkers (NT-proBNP > 4060 ng/L (OR 12.54; 95% CI, 2.80⁻55.99; < 0.001) and GDF-15 > 3393 pg/mL (OR 18.33; 95% CI, 2.39⁻140.39; = 0.001)) were significantly associated with elevated PSP in severe AS. : Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction and elevated biomarkers levels could predict the development of pulmonary hypertension in patients with severe aortic stenosis. Elevation of biomarkers paired with worsening of LV diastolic dysfunction could help to stratify patients for earlier surgical treatment before the development of pulmonary hypertension.