Assessment of right ventricular function in advanced heart failure with nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy: insights of right ventricular elastance

BACKGROUND: The right ventriculoarterial coupling (R-V/A), a measure of right ventricular systolic dysfunction (RVSD) adaptation/maladaptation to chronic overload, and consequent pulmonary hypertension, has been little investigated in nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (NIDCM). We examined the correlates of R-V/A and traditional echocardiographic indices of RVSD, over the spectrum of pulmonary hypertension and tertiles of mean pulmonary artery pressures (PAPm). METHODS: In 2016-2017, we studied 81 consecutive patients for heart transplant/advanced heart failure. Inclusion criteria were NIDCM, reduced ejection fraction (