Valvular & structural heart diseaseResearch article
Right Atrioventricular Coupling Index (RACI): A Novel Prognostic Marker in Functional Tricuspid Regurgitation
- study
- consecutive patients
Authors' conclusion
RACI is a novel parameter that effectively integrates RA and RV remodeling, and independently predicts all-cause mortality in functional TR. Incorporating RACI into clinical assessment may help with improving risk stratification and guiding the timing of intervention in patients with functional TR.
Study context
- Population
- Patients with moderate or greater functional tricuspid regurgitation (TR) undergoing cardiac magnetic resonance
- Participants
- 633 consecutive patients
- Comparison
- high: RACI≥0.62 versus normal: RACI<0.62
- highn = 147
- Outcome
- All-cause mortality
- Follow-up
- Median 2.9 years (interquartile range, 0.7-6.9)
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Estimate (95% CI)P value
high vs normal
hazard ratio 2.06(1.47–2.90)
P < 0.001RACImultivariable Cox regression adjusting for age, right and left heart size and function, and clinical markers of right-sided congestion
adjusted hazard ratio 1.16 per 0.10 increase(1.03–1.32)
P = 0.014Further findings
Age
RA end-systolic volume index
RV end-diastolic volume index
RV ejection fraction
- Age: P <0.001
- RA end-systolic volume index: P <0.001
- Right ventricular (RV) end-diastolic volume index: P =0.012
- RV ejection fraction: P =0.43
Incremental prognostic value over conventional right heart indices
- χ 2 increased from 28.5 to 37.6
- P = 0.003
Original publication
RACI: A Novel Prognostic Marker in Functional Tricuspid Regurgitation. Circ Cardiovasc Imaging. Published 21 July 2026. doi:10.1161/circimaging.126.019813
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it