The prognostic impact of pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) remains controversial in aortic stenosis (AS) and few studies focused only on patients with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). We therefore aimed to investigate the impact of PAP, derived from our large catheterization database, on survival in severe AS with preserved LVEF.

Between 2000 and 2010, 749 patients (74±8y, 57% of males) with preserved LVEF and severe AS without other valvular heart disease underwent cardiac catheterization, including right heart hemodynamic assessment. Pulmonary hypertension (PH) was defined as mean PAP>25mmHg.

Systolic and mean PAP were 34.5±12 and 21.9±9mmHg, respectively. Overall, 29% (n=215) of patients had PH, and these patients were significantly older (p<0.0001), with lower LVEF (p<0.0001) and higher heart rate (p=0.016) than those without PH. In addition, they more frequently had, hypertension (p<0.0001), diabetes (p=0.001), coronary artery disease (CAD, p<0.0001) and chronic pulmonary disease (p=0.043). Aortic valve replacement (AVR) was performed in 91% of patients and 30-day mortality was 4.3%, significantly higher in patients with PH (7.7 vs. 3.4%, p=0.014). In logistic regression analysis, after adjustment for age, gender, LVEF, CAD and mean transaortic pressure gradient, mean PAP was an independent predictor of increased 30-day mortality (OR=1.06, 95% CI: 1.02-1.1, p=0.004). Overall long-term survival was significantly reduced in patients with PH as compared to those without PH (10-year survival: 41±8 vs. 61±3%, p<0.0001). In multivariate analysis, after adjustment for all cofactors, PH was an independent predictor of mortality (HR=1.5, 95% CI: 1.1-2.1, p=0.037).

In patients with severe AS and preserved LVEF, PAP is an independent predictor of both 30-day and long-term mortality. In order to improve the prognosis of these patients, AVR could be considered before the occurrence of severely elevated PAP.