European journal of heart failure
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Eur. J. Heart Fail. · Jul 2019
ReviewTreatment of functional mitral regurgitation in chronic heart failure: can we get a 'proof of concept' from the MITRA-FR and COAPT trials?
Functional mitral regurgitation (FMR) is associated with poor outcomes in patients with heart failure (HF). However, it is not clear whether FMR is just a consequence of left ventricular (LV) remodelling or a factor contributing to cardiomyopathy progression. There will be more clarity about this controversy when the effects of FMR correction on outcomes will be shown. ⋯ We speculate that the two trials should be interpreted as complementary rather than opposite. Patients with severe FMR (effective regurgitant orifice area > 30 mm2 ) despite maximum tolerated GDMT (including cardiac resynchronization therapy), and without too advanced cardiomyopathy seem to be the best candidates for MitraClip treatment. MITRA-FR and COAPT provide us a long awaited 'proof of concept': FMR may be considered a leading actor in cardiomyopathy progression rather than a mere marker of severity.