Echocardiographic estimation of left ventricular and pulmonary pressures in patients with heart failure and preserved ejection fraction: a study utilizing simultaneous echocardiography and invasive measurements

Aims Although echocardiography is generally used for the diagnosis of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), invasive measurements of filling pressures are the gold standard. Studies simultaneously performing echocardiography and invasive measurements in HFpEF are sparse. Methods and results Invasive haemodynamic and echocardiographic measurements were simultaneously performed in 98 patients with heart failure New York Heart Association class ≥II, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≥45%, and suspected pulmonary hypertension on a previous echocardiogram. Multivariable linear regression analyses were used to establish echocardiographic predictors of pulmonary artery wedge pressure (PAWP), left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP), and mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP). Mean age of the study patients was 74 ± 9 years, 68% were female, mean LVEF was 57 ± 5%, and 30% had atrial fibrillation at the time of measurement. Mean PAWP, LVEDP and mPAP were 17.2 ± 6.2, 16.7 ± 5.8 and 30.9 ± 10.2 mmHg, respectively. Isovolumetric relaxation time (IVRT) and left atrial reservoir strain could moderately estimate PAWP (r = 0.656; P < 0.001). LVEDP was only modestly predicted by IVRT and right ventricular wall thickness (r = 0.548; P < 0.001). Surprisingly, a low correlation was found between E/e'mean and PAWP (r = 0.240; P = 0.019), E/e'mean and LVEDP (r = 0.081; P = 0.453). Correlation coefficients were similar in patients with and without atrial fibrillation. Conclusion In patients with HFpEF, echocardiographic measurements, including the E/e' ratio, have a poor to moderate predictive value for the estimation of invasively acquired LVEDP and PAWP. This limitation should be taken into account for the diagnosis and evaluation of patients with HFpEF.