Tianjin Medical Journal ›› 2026, Vol. 54 ›› Issue (10): 1093-1098.doi: 10.11958/20261200

• Applied Research • Previous Articles     Next Articles

The relationship between the left ventricular geometric remodeling and clinical worsening in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension

DENG Yuanlin1(), TIAN Hexian1, ZHANG Zhang1, YANG Zhenwen2, LI Fengtan1, LI Dong1, YANG Fan1,△()   

  1. 1 Department of Radiology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China
    2 Department of Cardiology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China
  • Received:2026-05-07 Revised:2026-07-10 Published:2026-10-15 Online:2026-10-10
  • Contact: △E-mail:dr_yangfan0201@163.com

Abstract:

Objective To investigate the association between left ventricular (LV) geometric remodeling derived from short-axis cine cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) images and clinical worsening (CW) in patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH). Methods A total of 194 patients with PH confirmed by right heart catheterization and who underwent CMR were retrospectively included. Patients were divided into the CW group (n=61) and the non-CW group (n=133) based on follow-up outcome. LV eccentricity, circularity and axis ratio were measured from short-axis cine CMR images at end-diastole (ED) and end-systole (ES). A composite left ventricular geometric index (LVGI) was subsequently constructed. Differences in geometric indices between the two groups were compared. Cox regression was used to evaluate the association between LVGI and clinical worsening. Prognostic discrimination was assessed using the Harrell C-index, 60-month time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis and Kaplan-Meier analysis. In addition, Spearman correlation analysis was performed to assess the association of LVGI with selected hemodynamic and CMR-derived cardiac functional parameters. Results Compared with the non-CW group, the LV eccentricity and long-to-short axis ratio increased and circularity decreased at both ED and ES in the CW group (all P<0.05). After integration of these geometric parameters, both ED and ES LVGI were significantly higher in the CW group (both P<0.05). In univariable Cox analysis, ED LVGI was significantly associated with clinical worsening (HR=1.684, 95%CI: 1.353-2.107, P<0.001). After multivariable adjustment, ED LVGI remained independently associated with clinical worsening (HR=1.370, 95%CI: 1.028-1.827, P=0.032). The 60-month time-dependent AUC of ED LVGI for predicting clinical worsening was 0.690, and the Harrell C-index was 0.663.Spearman correlation analysis showed that ED LVGI was positively correlated with mean pulmonary arterial pressure, pulmonary vascular resistance and right ventricular end-diastolic volume index (rs=0.436, 0.421, and 0.399, respectively), and negatively correlated with right ventricular ejection fraction and left ventricular cardiac index (rs=-0.247 and -0.227, respectively). After stratification by the median ED LVGI, the clinical-worsening-free survival was higher in the high-LVGI group than that of the low-LVGI group (Log-rank P<0.001). Conclusion LV geometric remodeling is more pronounced in PH patients with clinical worsening. CMR-derived ED LVGI is independently associated with CW and may serve as a complementary imaging marker reflecting ventricular interaction and disease progression.

Key words: pulmonary arterial hypertension, magnetic resonance imaging, ventricular remodeling, ventricular function, disease progression

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