is pulmonary artery pressure the only determinant of regurgitation severity?
GROUND: Pulmonary hypertension is a common cause of functional tricuspid regurgitation (TR), but other factors play a role in determining TR severity. The objectives of our study were to determine the distribution of TR severity in relation to pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP) and to define the determinants of TR severity. METHODS: The echocardiographic reports and selected echocardiographic studies of patients with echocardiographic estimation of PASP were reviewed. Patients with organic tricuspid valve (TV) disease were excluded from the analysis. RESULTS: Among 2,139 patients, the frequency of moderate or severe TR was progressively greater in patients with higher PASP. Nevertheless, TR was only mild in a substantial proportion of patients with high PASP (mild TR in 65.4% of patients with PASP 50-69 mm Hg and in 45.6% of patients with PASP >or= 70 mm Hg). By multivariate analysis, age, female gender, PASP (odds ratio, 2.26 per 10-mm Hg increase; 95% confidence interval, 1.95
