Prognostic value of right ventricular involvement in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Right ventricular (RV) involvement has been reported in one out of three patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), however its prognostic significance remains unknown. We aimed to assess the prognostic value of RV involvement in patients with HCM through a systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods: A literature search was performed on PubMed, ClinicalTrials.gov and Cochrane Library databases from inception through November 15, 2023. Original articles enrolling HCM patients >18 years old and evaluating the association of RV parameters routinely assessed in clinical practice through trans-thoracic echocardiography or cardiac magnetic resonance (i.e., RV hypertrophy, volumes, systolic function, and late gadolinium enhancement) and the risk of a pre-defined composite endpoint including i) all cause death; ii) cardiac death; iii) heart transplantation; iv) heart failure-related hospitalization; v) atrial fibrillation; vi) ventricular tachycardia; and vii) stroke were retrieved. Conclusions: Our results pinpoint a prognostic role of RV dysfunction, independent of left ventricular involvement, in patients with HCM, and future longitudinal studies, including multi-parametric RV assessment, are encouraged to provide clinically-relevant data to refine risk stratification in patients with HCM.