Mantovani, Francesca

Background: Mitral valve (MV) repair is preferred over replacement in clinical guidelines and is an important determinant of the indication for surgery in degenerative mitral regurgitation. However, the level of evidence supporting current recommendations is low, and recent data cast doubts on its validity in the current era. Accordingly, the aim of the present study was to analyze very long-term outcome after MV repair and replacement for degenerative mitral regurgitation with a flail leaflet. Methods: MIDA (Mitral Regurgitation International Database) is a multicenter registry enrolling patients with degenerative mitral regurgitation with a flail leaflet in 6 tertiary European and US centers. We analyzed the outcome after MV repair (n=1709) and replacement (n=213) overall, by propensity score matching, and by inverse probability-of-treatment weighting. Results: At baseline, patients undergoing MV repair were younger, had more comorbidities, and were more likely to present with a posterior leaflet prolapse than those undergoing MV replacement. After propensity score matching and inverse probability-of-treatment weighting, the 2 treatments groups were balanced, and absolute standardized differences were usually <10%, indicating adequate match. Operative mortality (defined as a death occurring within 30 days from surgery or during the same hospitalization) was lower after MV repair than after replacement in both the entire population (1.3% versus 4.7%; P <0.001) and the propensity-matched population (0.2% versus 4.4%; P <0.001). During a mean follow-up of 9.2 years, 552 deaths were observed, of which 207 were of cardiovascular origin. Twenty-year survival was better after MV repair than after MV replacement in both the entire population (46% versus 23%; P <0.001) and the matched population (41% versus 24%; P <0.001). Similar superiority of MV repair was obtained in patient subsets on the basis of age, sex, or any stratification criteria (all P <0.001). MV repair was also associated with reduced incidence of reoperations and valve-related complications. Conclusions: Among patients with degenerative mitral regurgitation with a flail leaflet referred to mitral surgery, MV repair was associated with lower operative mortality, better long-term survival, and fewer valve-related complications compared with MV replacement.

Introduction: We aim to describe changes in exercise habits and barriers to physical activity over 5 years in menopausal women at low–intermediate risk for cardiovascular disease. Materials and Methods: Women in the Stress Echocardiography in Menopausal Women at Risk for Coronary Artery Disease trial were prospectively enrolled in a multisite study from 2004 to 2007. Inclusion criteria were as follows: peri- and postmenopausal women with symptoms and/or risk factors for cardiovascular disease resulting in referral for stress echocardiography. A questionnaire, which assessed details of medical history, physical activity, and body mass index (BMI), was administered at baseline and 5 years. Results: 216 menopausal women (62.5% hypertensive, 15.3% diabetic, 52.3% prior or current smokers) were studied. At baseline, age was 54.9 ± 4.8 years, BMI was 30.7 ± 6.4 kg/m 2 , and Framingham risk score was 4.05% ± 3.76%. One hundred women (46.3%) were obese, 79 (36.6%) overweight, and 37 (17.1%) had a normal BMI. Women changed their self-reported aerobic exercise patterns in similar patterns regardless of their BMI at baseline. There was low participation in strength training among all women. Mean BMI decreased by 0.12 kg/m 2 in obese women and increased by 1.63 kg/m 2 in normal BMI women at 5 years ( p < 0.0001). Conclusion: These data suggest that women can increase their level of physical activity regardless of BMI and that overweight or obese status is not a barrier to initiating an aerobic, nonaerobic, or strength training exercise routine.

Background— Fibro-elastic deficiency (FED) and diffuse myxomatous degeneration (DMD) are phenotypes of degenerative mitral valve disease defined morphologically. Whether physiological differences in annular and valvular dynamics exist between these phenotypes remains unknown. Methods and Results— We performed triple quantitation of cardiac remodeling and of mitral regurgitation severity and of annular and valvular dimensions by real-time 3-dimensional-transesophageal-echocardiography. Forty-nine patients with degenerative mitral valve disease classified as FED (n=31) and DMD (n=18) by surgical observation showed no difference in age (65±10 versus 59±13; P =0.5), body surface area (2.0±0.2 versus 2.0±0.2 m 2 ; P =0.5), left ventricular and atrial dimensions (all P >0.55), and mitral regurgitation regurgitant orifice ( P =0.62). On average, annular dimensions were larger in DMD versus FED, but height was similar resulting in lower saddle shape. Dynamically, annular DMD versus FED display poorer contraction and saddle-shape accentuation in early systole and abnormal enlargement, particularly intercommissural, in late-systole (all P <0.05). Valvular dynamics showed stable valvular area in systole in FED versus considerable systolic increased area in DMD ( P <0.001). Prolapse height and volume increased little throughout systole in FED versus marked increase in DMD ( P <0.001). Conclusions— Our novel observations show that FED and DMD, although both labeled myxomatous, display considerable physiological phenotypic differences. In DMD, the annular increased size and profoundly abnormal dynamics demonstrate DMD-specific annular degeneration compared with the enlarged but relatively normal FED annulus. DMD does not incur more severe mitral regurgitation, despite larger prolapse and valve redundancy, underscoring potential compensatory role of tissue redundancy of DMD (or aggravating role of tissue paucity of FED) on mitral regurgitation severity.

Objectives Cleft-like indentations (CLI) are deep separations between scallops of the mitral posterior leaflet observed in myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD), but their diagnosis, mechanisms and implications are unknown. Using 3D transoesophageal echocardiography (3DTOC), we aimed at assessing diagnostic accuracy and defining mechanisms of CLI in patients undergoing surgery for MMVD. Methods 3DTOC of mitral valve was acquired in 49 patients with MMVD and severe regurgitation prior to valve repair. Qualitative review compared 3DTOC diagnosis of CLI with surgical inspection. Mitral, annular and leaflet dimensions were quantified with dedicated software and compared between those with and without CLI. Results Diagnosis of CLI was made by 3DTOC in 17 (35%) while none was identified by 2D and was confirmed in 15 (88%) by surgical inspection. Mechanistically, LV diameters and mitral regurgitant volume (RVol) were similar with and without CLI (p>0.49). Conversely, mitral annulus was smaller with CLI (anteroposterior diameter 42.2±7.1 vs 47.0±7.5 mm, p=0.04; circumference 133±16 vs 148±19 mm, p=0.009; area 1289±326 vs 1619±427 mm2, p=0.008). Prolapse volume tended to be smaller with CLI (1.9±1.2 vs 4.0±4.3 mL, p=0.06) involving single posterior scallop at surgery (82% vs 44%, p=0.007) with smaller 3DTOC leaflet area (1574±409 vs 2019±652 mm2, p=0.01). During valve repair, surgical closure of all surgically diagnosed CLI was required. Conclusions Posterior leaflet CLI are frequent in MMVD, are identified by 3DTOC with high accuracy and require closure during valve repair. CLI are mechanistically not related to excess annular enlargement or excess prolapse. Conversely, CLI occur in the context of single scallop prolapse with tissue paucity causing excess separation of scallops. These 3DTOC data enhance diagnostic and mechanistic comprehension of the diversity of MMVD phenotypical presentation.

Background— Ejection fraction (EF) as a marker of left ventricular (LV) dysfunction and the appropriate thresholds for diagnosing severe or mild/moderate LV dysfunction in mitral regurgitation are doubted and poorly followed in clinical practice. We aimed at assessing the role of EF in a large registry of organic mitral regurgitation to objectively establish thresholds for various degrees of LV dysfunction and to analyze whether mitral surgery remains beneficial in those subsets of patients. Methods and Results— We investigated the relation between EF and mortality in 1875 patients with mitral regurgitation due to flail leaflets in sinus rhythm (65±13 years; median EF, 66% [60%–71%]) enrolled in the Mitral Regurgitation International Database (MIDA) registry. With EF <60%, mortality after diagnosis increased precipitously under medical management (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 1.59 [1.19–2.12]) and during the entire follow-up (adjusted HR, 1.51 [1.22–1.87]). Severe LV dysfunction, if defined by EF <30%, would affect a minuscule number of patients (0.3%). Conversely, EF <45% was more frequent (2.9%) and was associated with considerable mortality under medical management (adjusted HR, 2.43 [1.50–3.95]) and during the entire follow-up (adjusted HR, 2.46 [1.67–3.61]). The group with EF of 45% to 60% represented a large proportion of patients (23%), exhibited rarely overt symptoms, and had higher mortality compared with EF >60%. Above 60%, no EF threshold further determined survival. The benefit of surgery remained considerable in the groups with EF <45% (adjusted HR, 0.28 [0.17–0.56]) and with EF of 45% to 60% (adjusted HR, 0.34 [0.21–0.64]). Conclusions— EF is valuable in defining presence and severity of LV dysfunction in organic mitral regurgitation. Patients with EF <45% have severe LV dysfunction, catastrophic outcome under medical management, and should not be denied surgery. Although there is no survival gain with EF ranges >60%, with EF dropping <60%, mortality increases precipitously and prompt surgical referral is critical to outcome.