Noninvasively assessed pulmonary artery stiffness predicts XXXX .

@entity1 @entity120
AIMS: Decreased total compliance of the pulmonary vascular bed is associated with increased mortality in @entity1 with @entity120 ( @entity120 ). We investigated whether proximal pulmonary artery stiffness, in terms of area distensibility and noninvasively assessed relative area change (RAC), calculated as relative cross-sectional area change, predicts mortality in @entity1 with @entity120 . METHODS AND RESULTS: Eighty-six subjects underwent right-heart catheterization and MRI to assess area distensibility and RAC. @entity1 were followed up to 48 months. Kaplan-Meier plot and Cox proportional hazards regression analyses assessed the predictive value of area distensibility and RAC. In 70 @entity1 , the diagnosis @entity120 was confirmed, and 16 subjects served as control subjects. In comparison with control subjects, proximal pulmonary arteries of @entity1 were distended (685 +/- 214 mm2 vs 411 +/- 153 mm2, p < 0.001), less distensible (area distensibility = 0.46 +/- 0.38.10(-2) mm Hg(-1) vs 3.69 +/- 1.96.10(-2) mm Hg(-1), p < 0.0001), and RAC was smaller (20 +/- 10% vs 58 +/- 21%, p < 0.0001) [mean +/- SD]. RAC showed an inverse curvilinear relation with mean pulmonary artery pressure (R2 = 0.47). Eighteen @entity1 (26%) died because of cardiopulmonary causes. @entity1 with a pulmonary artery RAC <or= 16% had a worse prognosis than those with a value > 16% (log-rank p < 0.001). RAC predicted mortality better than area distensibility. CONCLUSION: Noninvasively measured pulmonary artery RAC predicts mortality in @entity1 with @entity120 .
