# The relationship between right ventricular functions and early clinical events during hospitalization and after discharge in patients with low ejection fraction heart failure

## TL;DR

This study shows that right ventricular function is strongly linked to early clinical outcomes in patients with low ejection fraction heart failure.

## Contribution

The study identifies RV Global Longitudinal Strain and Free Wall Strain as novel predictors of mortality in heart failure patients.

## Key findings

- RV Global Longitudinal Strain and Free Wall Strain were significantly associated with mortality (p < 0.001).
- Both RV strain measurements correlated with both right and left ventricular function parameters.
- 64.3% of patients experienced composite adverse events within 6 months of hospitalization.

## Abstract

Right ventricular dysfunction is an independent predictor of poor prognosis in the patients with left ventricle failure. In this study, it is aimed to investigate the relationship between RV functions and early clinical events in hospital and after discharge in patients who were followed up for heart failure with a low ejection fraction and were hospitalized with the diagnosis of heart failure.

Seventy patients with a left ventricular ejection fraction below 45% who were hospitalized due to decompensated heart failure were enrolled in this study. They were stabilized after medical treatment and discharged. Thereafter, they were followed up for 6 months in terms of clinical events. Image windows used as standard in the 2D echocardiography technique were recorded while the related technique was being performed.

Composite adverse events were observed in 45 patients (64.3%), while composite adverse events were not observed in 25 patients (35.7%). Relation between the independent risk factors and composite adverse events were analyzed with binary logistic regression analysis. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to determine the distinctive performance of right ventricular (RV) Global Longitudinal Strain (GLS) and RV Free Wall Strain (FWS) parameters in the prediction of mortality in patients. RV Global LS (p < 0.001) and RV Free W Strain (p < 0.001) were determined as distinguishing factors related with mortality.

We found that RV GLS and RV fwLS are closely related. Moreover, both measurements were correlated not only with parameters reflecting RV systolic function, but also with parameters reflecting LV function.