138 Exercise haemodynamics in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Aims Exercise right heart catheterization (RHC) is considered the gold-standard test to diagnose heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). However, exercise RHC is an insufficiently standardized technique, and current haemodynamic thresholds to define HFpEF are not universally accepted. We sought to describe the exercise haemodynamics profile of HFpEF cohorts reported in literature, as compared with control subjects. Methods and results We performed a systematic literature review until December 2020. Studies reporting pulmonary artery wedge pressure (PAWP) at rest and peak exercise were extracted. Summary estimates of all haemodynamic variables were evaluated, stratified according to body position (supine/upright exercise), and the PAWP/cardiac output (CO) slope during exercise was extrapolated. Twenty-eight studies were identified, providing data for 2230 HFpEF patients and 706 controls. At peak exercise, patients with HFpEF achieved higher PAWP [30 (29–31) vs. 16 (15–17) mmHg, P < 0.001] and mean right atrial pressure (P < 0.001) than controls. These differences persisted after adjustment for age, sex, body mass index, body position. However, peak PAWP values were highly heterogeneous among the cohorts, with a relative overlap with controls. PAWP/CO slope was steeper in HFpEF than in controls [3.81 (3.24–4.38) vs. 0.91 (0.24–1.58) mmHg/l/min, P < 0.001], even after adjustment for covariates (P = 0.020) (Figure). Conclusions The haemodynamic profile of HFpEF patients is consistent across studies and characterized by a higher left and right filling pressure at rest, magnified by physical exercise. Our analysis strongly suggests that PAWP/CO slope might allow for a more consistent identification of HFpEF, irrespective of body position. This variable likely overcomes the shortcomings of an isolated peak PAWP measurement, allowing for a more univocal identification of HFpEF in patients with unexplained dyspnoea.