ABSTRACT
Acute decompensated aortic stenosis (ADAS) is common and associated with poor outcomes. Myocardial remodeling and function, including a novel echo staging classification (0 to 4, representing increasing degrees of cardiac damage/dysfunction), impact outcomes in stable aortic stenosis. However, this has not been assessed in patients with ADAS. This study aims to evaluate the impact of the myocardium, echo staging classification, and clinical parameters on mortality in ADAS. ADAS was defined as an acute deterioration in symptoms (New York Heart Association 4, Canadian Cardiovascular Society 3/4, or syncope) that warranted admission to the hospital and urgent aortic valve replacement. Using a retrospective observational study design, 292 consecutive patients with ADAS who underwent transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) were identified and included in this study. Echocardiographic and clinical characteristics were evaluated using regression analysis. The outcome was all-cause mortality after TAVI. At 1 year after TAVI, advanced echo staging (>2) independently predicted mortality (hazards ratio: 1.85, 95% confidence interval: 1.01 to 3.39; p = 0.045). At a follow-up of 2.4 ± 1.4 years, myocardial, valvular, and clinical parameters did not predict mortality, except for frailty (hazards ratio: 2.31, 95% confidence interval: 1.38 to 3.85; p = 0.001). In patients with ADAS, short-term mortality after TAVI is influenced by more advanced cardiac damage/dysfunction based on the echo staging classification, whereas mid-term mortality is driven by frailty rather than echo staging classification.
