Abstract

BACKGROUND: The pulmonary artery pulsatility index (PAPi), defined as the ratio of pulmonary artery pulse pressure to right atrial pressure, emerged as a powerful predictor of right ventricular (RV) failure in patients with acute inferior myocardial infarction and those undergoing left ventricular assist device placement; however, its prognostic utility in the advanced heart failure population remains largely unknown. METHODS AND RESULTS: We comparatively analyzed PAPi with traditional indices of RV function including RV stroke work index and right atrial/pulmonary capillary wedge pressure ratio (RAP/PCWP) in the Evaluation Study of Congestive Heart Failure and Pulmonary Artery Catheterization Effectiveness trial. Median PAPi score was 2.35 in 190 patients. PAPi was significantly associated with clinical (jugular venous distention, ascites, edema), echocardiographic (right atrial size, vena cava size, tricuspid regurgitation velocity), and hemodynamic signs of RV failure (RAP, PCWP); all P < .05. In addition, PAPi was associated with the measures of left ventricular function, including ejection fraction, cardiac index, and PCWP (all P < .05). In Cox regression analysis, PAPi was an independent predictor of primary endpoint of death or hospitalization at 6 months (hazard ratio 0.91 [95% confidence interval 0.84-0.99], P = .022), whereas RA pressure, RV stroke work index, or RA/PCWP were not. CONCLUSIONS: PAPi serves as a marker of RV dysfunction and strongly predicts adverse clinical events in patients with advanced heart failure. Incorporating PAPi into existing risk models can substantially improve patient selection for advanced therapies and clinical outcomes in this population.