Clinical Research
Heart Failure
Pulmonary Hypertension in Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction: A Community-Based Study

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2008.11.051Get rights and content
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Objectives

This study sought to define the prevalence, severity, and significance of pulmonary hypertension (PH) in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) in the general community.

Background

Although HFpEF is known to cause PH, its development is highly variable. Community-based data are lacking, and the relative contribution of pulmonary venous versus pulmonary arterial hypertension (HTN) to PH in HFpEF is unknown. We hypothesized that PH would be a marker of symptomatic pulmonary congestion, distinguishing HFpEF from pre-clinical hypertensive heart disease.

Methods

This community-based study of 244 HFpEF patients (age 76 ± 13 years; 45% male) was followed up using Doppler echocardiography over 3 years. Control subjects were 719 adults with HTN without HF (age 66 ± 10 years; 44% male). Pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP) was derived from the tricuspid regurgitation velocity and PH defined as PASP >35 mm Hg. Pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) was estimated from the ratio of early transmitral flow velocity to early mitral annular diastolic velocity.

Results

In HFpEF, PH was present in 83% and the median (25th, 75th percentile) PASP was 48 (37, 56) mm Hg. PASP increased with PCWP (r = 0.21; p < 0.007). Adjusting for PCWP, PASP was higher in HFpEF than HTN (p < 0.001). The PASP distinguished HFpEF from HTN with an area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve of 0.91 (p < 0.001) and strongly predicted mortality in HFpEF (hazard ratio: 1.3 per 10 mm Hg; p < 0.001).

Conclusions

PH is highly prevalent and often severe in HFpEF. Although pulmonary venous HTN contributes to PH, it does not fully account for the severity of PH in HFpEF, suggesting that a component of pulmonary arterial HTN also contributes. The potent effect of PASP on mortality lends support for therapies aimed at pulmonary arterial HTN in HFpEF.

Key Words

pulmonary hypertension
diastolic heart failure
heart failure with preserved ejection fraction

Abbreviations and Acronyms

AUC
area under the curve
COPD
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
EF
ejection fraction
HF
heart failure
HFpEF
heart failure with preserved ejection fraction
HTN
hypertension
PASP
pulmonary artery systolic pressure
PCWP
pulmonary capillary wedge pressure
PH
pulmonary hypertension
TR
tricuspid regurgitation

Cited by (0)

Supported by National Institutes of Health grants HL63281-4, HL72435-2, and HL55502-7.