Perspectives of using pulmonary arterial stiffness indicators to evaluate the prognosis of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension

• Published in: Terapevtic̆eskii arhiv Vol. 90; no. 1; pp. 86 - 92
• Main Authors: Simakova, M A, Ryzhkov, A V, Kazymly, A V, Naimushin, A V, Lukinov, V L, Moiseeva, O M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Russian
• Published: "Consilium Medicum" Publishing house 2018
• Subjects: pathophysiology of pulmonary arterial hypertension; pulmonary hypertension; right ventricular heart failure; stiffness of the vessel wall
• ISSN: 0040-3660; 2309-5342
• DOI: 10.17116/terarkh201890186-92

OBJECTIVEthe aim of the study was to characterize the mechanical properties of the pulmonary arterial wall (PA) in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the heart, and to determine their diagnostic and prognostic value. MATERIALS AND METHODS57 patients with PAH were examined. The diagnosis of PAH was verified according to the recommendations of the ERS/ESC from 2015. All patients underwent a detailed echocardiographic (ECHO) study, MRI of the heart and right heart catheterization (RHC). To calculate the stiffness of the pulmonary artery wall, the MRI and RHC data were used. RESULTSWe identified a correlation between the functional class of PAH and the parameters of hemodynamic, physical performance, ECHO parameters of the right chambers. There were no differences in the stiffness of the pulmonary artery wall, depending on the functional class of PAH. Among the six stiffness indicators, only pulsation index was associated with the structural and functional parameters of the right ventricle and pulmonary vascular resistance. CONCLUSIONThe MRI pulsation index is the simpleststiffness index of the pulmonary artery wall and the most promising one for evaluating the prognosis of patients with PAH.