Prognostic Implications of the Extent of Cardiac Damage in Patients With Fabry Disease

Abstract

Background: There is limited evidence on the risk stratification of cardiovascular outcomes in patients with Fabry disease (FD).

Objectives: This study sought to classify FD patients into disease stages, based on the extent of the cardiac damage evaluated by echocardiography, and to assess their prognostic impact in a multicenter cohort.

Methods: Patients with FD from 5 Italian referral centers were categorized into 4 stages: stage 0, no cardiac involvement; stage 1, left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy (LV maximal wall thickness >12 mm); stage 2, left atrium (LA) enlargement (LA volume index >34 mL/m²); stage 3, ventricular impairment (LV ejection fraction <50% or E/e' ≥15 or TAPSE <17 mm). The study endpoint was the composite of all-cause death, hospitalization for heart failure, new-onset atrial fibrillation, major bradyarrhythmias or tachyarrhythmias, and ischemic stroke.

Results: A total of 314 patients were included. Among them, 174 (56%) were classified as stage 0, 41 (13%) as stage 1, 57 (18%) as stage 2 and 42 (13%) as stage 3. A progressive increase in the composite event rate at 8 years was observed with worsening stages of cardiac damage (log-rank P < 0.001). On multivariable Cox regression analysis, the staging was independently associated with the risk of cardiovascular events (HR: 2.086 per 1-stage increase; 95% CI: 1.487-2.927; P < 0.001). Notably, cardiac staging demonstrated a stronger and additive prognostic value, as compared with the degree of LV hypertrophy.

Conclusions: In FD patients, a novel staging classification of cardiac damage, evaluated by echocardiography, is strongly associated with cardiovascular outcomes and may be helpful to refine risk stratification.

Keywords: Fabry disease; cardiac damage; echocardiography; hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.