Low Aortic Pulsatility Index and Pulmonary Artery Pulsatility Index Are Associated With Increased Mortality in Patients With Dilated Cardiomyopathy Awaiting Heart Transplantation

Background and Objectives: Patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) tend to be accompanied by biventricular impairment. We hypothesized that the combination of the aortic pulsatility index (API) and pulmonary artery pulsatility index (PAPI) could refine risk stratification in DCM. Methods: We studied 120 consecutive patients with advanced DCM who underwent right heart catheterization (RHC). The primary outcome was all-cause mortality within 1 year after RHC. We used the receiver operating characteristic curve to determine the optimal cut-off of API and PAPI to predict outcomes. Results: The optimal cut-offs of API (1.02) and PAPI (2.16) were used to classify patients into four groups. There were significant differences in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) among the four groups (both p<0.05). When delineating API by LVEF above or below the median (28%), the cumulative rate of survival in patients with API <1.02 was lower than that of those with API >= 1.02 in both higher and lower LVEF groups (both p<0.05). Similar trends were observed when delineating PAPI using TAPSE higher or lower than the cut-off (17 mm) (both p<0.05). The cumulative rate of survival in the API <1.02 and PAPI <2.16 group was lower than that in the API >= 1.02 and/or PAPI >= 2.16 (all p<0.05). Conclusions: API and PAPI could add additional prognostic value to LVEF and TAPSE, respectively. The combination of API and PAPI could provide a comprehensive assessment of biventricular function and refine risk stratification.