ESC Congress 2026 Abstract · Oct 26, 2026
Right ventricular–pulmonary arterial coupling in a community-based cohort
By Holm H, Zaghi A, Magnusson M et al.
Background: Right ventricular–pulmonary arterial (RV–PA) coupling reflects the ability of the right ventricle to adapt to arterial afterload and is a strong prognostic marker in cardiopulmonary diseases. Although noninvasive echocardiographic surrogates are increasingly applied, the determinants of RV–PA coupling in individuals without overt cardiovascular disease remain insufficiently characterized. Methods: We analyzed participants from with echocardiography and complete data on RV–PA coupling. Two noninvasive methods were used to derive RV–PA coupling: (1) the ratio of tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion to pulmonary artery systolic pressure (TAPSE/PASP) and (2) the ratio of systolic tissue velocity at the tricuspid annulus to PASP (S′/PASP). Of 1, 696 study participants, a total of 668 subjects had complete TAPSE/PASP data and 308 had S′/PASP. Associations with cardiovascular risk factors were assessed using multivariable regression analyses. Results: Mean TAPSE/PASP was 0.95 ± 0.26 mm[GN1] /mmHg [MM2] and mean S′/PASP was 0.54 ± 0.15 cm/s/mmHg, with higher values indicating better RV–PA coupling. The two indices correlated strongly (Spearman r = 0.78; p < 0.0001). RV–PA coupling indices decreased with age, with each 10-year increase associated with lower TAPSE/PASP (β −0.022, 95% CI −0.035 to −0.009; p=0.001) and S′/PASP (β −0.017, 95% CI −0.029 to −0.006; p=0.003). Obesity was likewise associated with reduced TAPSE/PASP (β −0.094, 95% CI −0.154 to −0.034; p=0.002) and S′/PASP (β −0.059, 95% CI −0.113 to −0.005; p=0.031), whereas sex showed no independent [GN3] association with either coupling index. In multivariable models[GN4] , hypertension independently increased the odds of TAPSE/PASP below the median (OR 1.74, 95% CI 1.16–2.62; p=0.007), with no corresponding association for S′/PASP. Conclusions: In this community-based middle-aged cohort, worse RV–PA coupling (lower TAPSE/PASP and S′/PASP) was independently associated with adverse cardiovascular risk profiles in multivariable models. The strong correlation between the two indices supports their use as practical, noninvasive measures of RV–pulmonary vascular interaction in population studies. Prospective studies are needed to determine their prognostic value.