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Getting the latest healthcare news for you
Getting the latest healthcare news for you
A post hoc analysis of the HELIOS-B trial found that right ventricular dysfunction — measured by free-wall strain — was present in over 85% of patients with transthyretin amyloidosis cardiomyopathy and strongly predicted worse outcomes. Patients treated with vutrisiran showed stabilized RV function compared to placebo at 30 months. The findings suggest conventional echo measures may be missing a critical marker of disease severity.
A new analysis published in JAMA Cardiology reveals that right ventricular (RV) dysfunction is far more common — and far more dangerous — in patients with transthyretin amyloidosis cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM) than traditional echocardiographic measures suggest. Researchers analyzed data from 548 patients in the HELIOS-B trial and found that RV free-wall strain (RVFWS), a deformation-based measure, was a far better predictor of poor outcomes than conventional metrics like tricuspid annular velocity or RV fractional area change.
The good news? Treatment with vutrisiran, a subcutaneous RNA interference therapy given every 12 weeks, was associated with stabilized RVFWS and improved RVFWS indexed to pulmonary artery pressure at 30 months — both statistically significant findings compared to placebo.
By the Numbers:
Why it matters: RV dysfunction is a known driver of poor outcomes in heart failure, but it's often missed with standard echo tools in ATTR-CM. This study highlights RVFWS as a more sensitive marker and suggests vutrisiran may help preserve RV function — a potentially meaningful benefit for a patient population with limited options.
