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Prognostic value of Doppler transmitral filling patterns in patients with chronic heart failure

Zhe-lan Zheng1, A Meissner, B Hausmann

  • 1Department of Ultrasonography, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University College of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China. zhze2002@hzcnc.com

Chinese Medical Journal
|February 21, 2004
PubMed

Insights

A restrictive filling index (RFI) can identify chronic heart failure patients at high risk for cardiac death. This simple, noninvasive predictor aids in risk stratification for better patient outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Echocardiography
  • Heart Failure Management

Background:

  • Chronic heart failure (CHF) significantly contributes to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.
  • Identifying high-risk CHF patients is crucial for effective management and improved survival rates.
  • Restrictive filling patterns may offer prognostic insights in CHF.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To test the hypothesis that a restrictive filling pattern can identify patients with chronic heart failure at high risk of all-cause cardiac death.
  • To evaluate the prognostic value of a novel criterion, the restrictive filling index (RFI).

Main Methods:

  • Ninety patients with CHF were enrolled and followed for approximately 19 months.
  • A restrictive filling index (RFI) was developed to categorize patients into restrictive and nonrestrictive groups.
  • Cardiac mortality and events were meticulously recorded throughout the follow-up period.

Main Results:

  • Patients with a restrictive filling pattern exhibited more severe left ventricular dysfunction and higher cardiac mortality.
  • Kaplan-Meier analysis showed significantly lower cardiac event-free survival rates at 1 and 2 years for patients with RFI ≥ 1 compared to RFI < 1.
  • The multivariate Cox proportional hazard model identified RFI as the most potent prognostic factor for all-cause cardiac death (P = 0.0030).

Conclusions:

  • The restrictive filling index (RFI) is a simple, noninvasive, and specific clinical predictor.
  • RFI effectively identifies adult chronic heart failure patients at high risk for all-cause cardiac death.
  • This index can aid clinicians in risk stratification and personalized treatment strategies for CHF patients.
Abstract

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