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ABSTRACT: Background
Identification of patients at risk of deterioration is essential to guide clinical management in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). This study aims to provide a comprehensive overview of well-investigated echocardiographic findings that are associated with clinical deterioration in PAH.Methods
MEDLINE and EMBASE databases were systematically searched for longitudinal studies published by April 2015 that reported associations between echocardiographic findings and mortality, transplant or clinical worsening. Meta-analysis using random effect models was performed for echocardiographic findings investigated by four or more studies. In case of statistical heterogeneity a sensitivity analysis was conducted.Results
Thirty-seven papers investigating 51 echocardiographic findings were included. Meta-analysis of univariable hazard ratios (HRs) and sensitivity analysis showed that presence of pericardial effusion (pooled HR 1.70; 95?% CI 1.44-1.99), right atrial area (pooled HR 1.71; 95?% CI 1.38-2.13) and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE; pooled HR 1.72; 95?% CI 1.34-2.20) were the most well-investigated and robust predictors of mortality or transplant.Conclusions
This meta-analysis substantiates the clinical yield of specific echocardiographic findings in the prognostication of PAH patients in day-to-day practice. In particular, pericardial effusion, right atrial area and TAPSE are of prognostic value.
SUBMITTER: Baggen VJM
PROVIDER: S-EPMC4887306 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jun
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Baggen V J M VJM Driessen M M P MMP Post M C MC van Dijk A P AP Roos-Hesselink J W JW van den Bosch A E AE Takkenberg J J M JJM Sieswerda G T GT
Netherlands heart journal : monthly journal of the Netherlands Society of Cardiology and the Netherlands Heart Foundation 20160601 6
<h4>Background</h4>Identification of patients at risk of deterioration is essential to guide clinical management in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). This study aims to provide a comprehensive overview of well-investigated echocardiographic findings that are associated with clinical deterioration in PAH.<h4>Methods</h4>MEDLINE and EMBASE databases were systematically searched for longitudinal studies published by April 2015 that reported associations between echocardiographic findings and m ...[more]