Right ventricular-pulmonary artery coupling assessed by two-dimensional strain predicts in-hospital complications in Takotsubo syndrome

Background: Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) is an acute condition characterized by a reversible left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction leading to serious in-hospital complications (IHC). The aim of our study is to investigate the prognostic impact of right ventricular-to-pulmonary artery (RV-PA) coupling in patients with TTS. Methods: Consecutive TTS patients were prospectively enrolled. In all patients, standard and speckle tracking transthoracic echocardiography was performed within 48 h from hospital admission. RV function was evaluated by RV global longitudinal strain (RV-GLS) and RV free wall strain (RV-FWS) and RV-PA coupling was measured as the ratio of either tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE), RV-GLS or RV-FWS to pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP). Data about IHC (acute heart failure, life-threatening arrhythmias and death) were collected. Results: A total of 80 patients were analyzed (71 ± 11 years, female 77.5 %) and IHC occurred in 33 (41 %). Patients who experienced IHC had lower LV ejection fraction (LVEF), lower left atrial (LA) reservoir strain, TAPSE/PASP, RV-FWS/PASP and RV-GLS/PASP and higher left atrial volume indexed (LAVi) values. At multivariate analysis, only LVEF (OR 0.913, 95 % CI [0.858–0.971], p = 0.004) was an independent predictor of IHC. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve analysis showed an additional prognostic value of a combined model including RV-GLS/PASP and LVEF compared to LVEF alone in the prediction of IHC (AUC of 0.756 vs 0.736, differences between AUCs: 0.02 [p = 0.73]). Conclusion: RV-PA coupling assessed by RV-GLS/PASP may help in identifying TTS patients at higher risk of cardiovascular complications with an additional prognostic value to LVEF alone.