Relationship Between Remote, Ambulatory Pulmonary Artery Pressures, and All-Cause Mortality in Patients With Chronic Heart Failure.

Abstract

Background: Hemodynamically guided management of patients with chronic heart failure (HF), using a remote, ambulatory pulmonary artery (PA) pressure monitor, has been shown to reduce mortality and morbidity. These improved outcomes were associated with a reduction in PA pressure. However, several pivotal questions remain unanswered: do systolic, diastolic, or mean PA pressures each predict all-cause mortality? Do PA pressures predict mortality across the ejection fraction (EF) spectrum? Do increases or decreases in PA pressure over time predict increases or decreases in mortality?

Methods: Retrospective analyses of data from CHAMPION (CardioMEMS Heart Sensor Allows Monitoring of Pressure to Improve Outcomes in NYHA Class III Heart Failure Patients; n=550), GUIDE-HF (Hemodynamic-GUIDEed management of Heart Failure; n=2358), US PAS (CardioMEMS HF System Post Approval Study; n=1200), and MEMS-HF (CardioMEMS Monitoring Study for Heart Failure; n=234) were performed, including all enrolled patients regardless of treatment assignments (Total N=4342). PA systolic, PA diastolic, and PA mean pressures were examined in patients with HF and reduced EF (<50%, n=2562) and preserved EF (≥50%, n=1454). Baseline pressure (averaged over 14 days after implantation) and change in pressure (increase/decrease/no change) from baseline to 6 months (averaged over 14 days just before the 6-month time point) were related to all-cause mortality over a 2-year follow-up period.

Results: Baseline PA diastolic, independent of other covariates, was a significant predictor of mortality (hazard ratio, 1.04 [95% CI, 1.03-1.05]; P<0.0001). Change in PA diastolic from baseline to 6 months (assessed as a continuous variable) was an independent predictor of mortality after 6 months (landmark analysis; hazard ratio, 1.03 [95% CI, 1.01-1.05]; P=0.0042). Change in PA diastolic from baseline to 6 months(assessed as a categorical variable) decrease or increase of >2 mm Hg compared with no change predicted a 14.7% decrease and 26.7% increase in mortality, respectively (P=0.0237). PA systolic and PA mean pressures in both HF with reduced EF and HF with preserved EF patients, for both baseline and change from baseline to 6 months, were also predictive of all-cause mortality.

Conclusions: Baseline PAP (systolic, diastolic, and mean) and change in PAP (systolic, diastolic, and mean) from baseline to 6 months were independent predictors of 2-year mortality in patients with chronic HF in both preserved and reduced EF.

Registration: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifiers: CHAMPION, NCT00531661; GUIDE-HF, NCT03387813; USPAS, NCT02279888; MEMS-HF, NCT02693691.