Cohort study
Prognostic value of left ventricular contractility index in patients with coarctation of aorta and preserved ejection fraction
- Retrospective cohort study
Authors' conclusion
Further studies are required to determine the optimal cutoff point of LVCi that defines reduced LV contractility, and whether patients with reduced LV contractility (in the setting of preserved LVEF) would benefit from medical therapy considering the higher risk of mortality in this subgroup of patients.
Study context
- Population
- Adults with repaired coarctation of aorta (COA) and preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) (LVEF ≥ 50%), 2003–2024
- Participants
- 821 adults
- Exposure
- LV contractility index (LVCi)_low vs LVCi_high; LVEF_low/normal vs LVEF_high/normal
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Peak VO2, NT-proBNP and all-cause mortality by LVCi
- Compared to LVCi_high group, the LVCi_low group had lower predicted peak VO2, higher NT-proBNP levels and higher incidence of mortality
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Peak VO2, NT-proBNP and mortality by LVEF
- No difference between the LVEF_low/normal vs LVEF_high/normal groups
All-cause mortality, prognostic performance
- LVCi was independently associated with all-cause mortality and had superior prognostic performance compared to LVEF and LV global longitudinal strain
Baseline LVEF and LVCi
- Median LVEF
- 63% (56, 70)
- Median LVCi
- 5.8 (4.8, 7.1) mmHg/mL/m²
Original publication
Prognostic value of left ventricular contractility index in patients with coarctation of aorta and preserved ejection fraction. Am Heart J. Published 17 June 2026. doi:10.1016/j.ahj.2026.107512
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it