Tricuspid Regurgitation Pressure Gradient as a Useful Predictor of Adverse Cardiovascular Events and All-Cause Mortality in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation

Tricuspid regurgitation pressure gradient (TRPG) is reportedly a predictor of cardiovascular (CV) mortality in patients without atrial fibrillation (AF); its relationship with cardiac outcomes in patients with AF has never been evaluated. This study aimed to examine the ability of TRPG to predict CV events and all-cause mortality in patients with AF. Comprehensive echocardiography was performed in 155 patients with persistent AF. Combined CV events were defined as CV mortality, stroke and hospitalization for heart failure. During an average follow-up period of 27 months, 57 CV events and 31 all-cause deaths occurred. According to multivariate analysis, predictors of CV events included diuretic use, decreased left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), increased ratio of transmitral E velocity (E) to early diastolic mitral annular velocity (E′) and TRPG. Predictors of all-cause mortality included old age, decreased LVEF, increased E/E′ and TRPG. Notably, the addition of TRPG to a model containing clinical significant parameters, LVEF and E/E′ significantly improved the values in predicting adverse CV events and all-cause mortality. The TRPG is not only a useful predictor of adverse CV events and all-cause mortality in patients with AF, it may also provide additional prognostic values for CV outcome and all-cause mortality over conventional parameters in such patients.