Right ventricular function declines prior to left ventricular ejection fraction in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
Mahmod M., Raman B., Chan K., Sivalokanathan S., Smillie RW., Samat AHA., Ariga R., Dass S., Ormondroyd E., Watkins H., Neubauer S.
BackgroundThe right ventricle (RV) in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) tends to be neglected, as previous efforts have predominantly focused on examining the prognostic value of left ventricular (LV) abnormalities. The objectives of this study were to assess RV function in HCM, changes over time, and association with clinical outcomes.MethodsTwo hundred and ninety HCM patients with preserved LV ejection fraction (LVEF ≥ 55%) and 30 age- and sex-matched controls underwent cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR). All patients were followed up for clinical events for a median duration of 4.4 years. Sixty-three patients had a follow-up CMR undertaken at a median interval of 5.4 years. Main study measures and outcomes were RV function (RV ejection fraction (RVEF) and RV strain) at baseline, temporal changes in RV function over time and prognostic value of RV dysfunction for predicting cardiovascular outcomes in HCM.ResultsWhen compared to controls, HCM patients exhibited lower RV and LV peak global longitudinal systolic strains on feature-tracking analysis of cine images, while RVEF and LVEF were within the normal range. On follow-up CMR, both RV and LV strain parameters decreased over time. RVEF decreased at follow-up (65 ± 7% to 62 ± 7%, P ConclusionsIn HCM, RV function, including RV strain, and LV strain decrease over time despite preserved LVEF. Reduction in RV but not LV function is associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes. Assessing RV function in early HCM disease might have a role in risk stratification to prevent future cardiovascular events.