Transcatheter tricuspid valve repair (TTVR) is associated with reductions in tricuspid regurgitation (TR) and improved quality of life (QoL), according to new findings published in JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions.
“In a highly symptomatic patient population, the ultimate goal of heart failure (HF) treatment is not only to reduce adverse events but also to improve QoL,” wrote lead authors Mitsunobu Kitamura, MD, PhD, and Karl-Patrik Kresoja, MD, of the University of Leipzig in Germany, and colleagues. “In fact, among older patients with high symptom burden, improvement of QoL might be of greater importance than prolonged survival.”
The team tracked data from 115 patients who underwent TTVR at the same facility from June 2016 to January 2020. Patients who also underwent transcatheter mitral valve repair or mitral valve repair during the same hospitalization were excluded.
The median patient age was 78 years old, and exactly half of the patients were women.
Overall, the authors found, device implantation was a success for 96% of patients. Moderate or less than moderate TR at discharge was seen in 83% of patients.
Two scores were used to evaluate patient QoL, the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) and the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ). SF-36 and MLHFQ responses were gathered before and one month after TTVR.
After TTVR, improvements were seen in both scores.
“The present study demonstrated that TTVR improved both physical and mental components of the SF-36 and MLHFQ, with sustained effects at six-month follow-up, which is comparable with studies investigating QoL in the setting of mitral valve repair or transfemoral aortic valve implantation,” the authors wrote. “Along with improvement in SF-36 MCS and MLHFQ scores, TTVR enhanced health status and alleviated HF-related symptoms in patients with HF with TR.”
In addition, the team added, improved QoL was directly linked to improved patient survival.
“Further investigation is required in future studies with larger cohorts to verify these findings,” the authors concluded. “QoL evaluation using the SF-36 might be suitable to validate the clinical efficacy of emerging TTVR treatments in future prospective randomized multicenter trials.”
Read the full analysis in JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions here.
Michael has more than 16 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.