Tricuspid valve and right-heart chamber remodelling in elderly subjects with secondary tricuspid regurgitation.

Background: The prevalence of secondary tricuspid regurgitation (TR) increases with ageing, but the exact mechanisms and the pattern of tricuspid valve (TV) remodelling are yet to be defined. This knowledge is needed to guide patient selection for the evolving therapeutic options. We sought to explore the prevalence and predictors of secondary TR in the elderly, as well as the associated pattern of right-heart chamber and TV remodelling.

Methods: Consecutive older subjects (60-year-old or older) were prospectively enrolled and detailed analysis of right-heart chambers and TV was conducted (ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT05784883). TR severity was defined based on a multiparametric approach.

Results: Out of 213 patients (age, 67.1 ± 5.9 years, 52.6% female), 48.8% had mild and 15.5% had moderate-severe TR. The frequency of moderate-severe TR increased from 4.5% in those without to 32.9% in those with underlying abnormalities of the left/right heart. There was a significant trend of worsening right-heart chamber and TV remodelling across the three grades of TR severity (none-trace, mild, and moderate-severe; p-value for linear trend < 0.001). ROC curve-defined cut-points of TV remodelling parameters predicting moderate-severe TR were annular dilatation ≥3.75 cm (AUC: 0.74), tenting area ≥1.45 cm² (AUC: 0.67), and leaflet length ≥2.25 cm (AUC: 0.61) with increasing frequency of moderate-severe TR from 7.2% through 64.7%, in those with none vs. all three criteria (p < 0.001). The most important correlate of the three TV remodelling parameters was right ventricular and atrial (RV and RA) dilatation.

Conclusion: Rather than ageing per se, the presence of underlying cardiac abnormalities determines the frequency of moderate-severe TR. Progressive remodelling of right-heart chambers and TV geometry starts with the development of mild TR. TA dilatation, increased tenting, and leaflet elongation are three important correlates of the development of TR that parallel progressive RV and RA dilatation.Study Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT05784883.