Independent and incremental prognostic value of early mitral annulus velocity in patients with impaired left ventricular systolic function

OBJECTIVES This study sought to investigate the incremental prognostic value of non-invasive measures of early myocardial relaxation and left ventricular diastolic pressure (LVDP) in patients with impaired left ventricular (LV) systolic function. BACKGROUND The early diastolic mitral annulus velocity (Em) reflects myocardial relaxation, and the combined ratio of the early transmittal flow velocity (E) to Ern (E/Em) > 15 correlates well with elevated mean LVDP. It is unknown if these new indexes will predict poorer survival in patients with LV systolic dysfunction. METHODS Echocardiograms were prospectively obtained in 182 patients with impaired LV systolic function, defined as an LV ejection fraction <0.50. The end point was cardiac mortality. The majority of this patient sample (80%) has been reported on in a previous publication. RESULTS After a median 48 months' follow-up, Ern emerged as an independent predictor of survival (hazard ratio 0.61, 95% confidence interval 0.45 to 0.82). An Em <3 cm/s was associated with a significantly excess mortality (log-rank statistic 9.36, p = 0.002), and this measurement added incremental prognostic value to standard indexes of systolic or diastolic function, including a deceleration time <140 ms and an E/Em >15 (p = 0.038). CONCLUSIONS Early diastolic mitral annulus velocity is a powerful predictor of cardiac mortality in patients with LV systolic impairment; Ern <3 cm/s emerged as the best prognosticator in long-term follow-up, incremental to other clinical or echocardiographic variables, including the ratio E/Em. (C) 2005 by the American College of Cardiology Foundation.