Heart Failure and Preserved Ejection Fraction: Observation of Its Progression and Prognosis (HOPP-BERN)

Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction (HFpEF) is becoming increasingly prevalent, yet diagnostics, characterization and prognosis of the disease is still uncertain. Multiple contributing factors have been implicated in the development of HFpEF such as but not limited to myocardial fibrosis, myocardial edema, ventricular remodeling, metabolic dysfunction, coronary microvascular dysfunction, ischemia, systemic effects and associated ventricular-arterial coupling. However, how the longitudinal progression of these factors is associated with HFpEF and whether a causal effect between the pathologic features in HFpEF exist, is not fully understood.

Using cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR), multiple cardiac and extracardiac parameters can be investigated in a single non-invasive imaging exam. This will be a single-centre prospective observational longitudinal study with the formation of a database. Patients will undergo a comprehensive CMR exam upon recruitment, 1- and 5-years after enrolment, and also if re-hospitalisation for heart failure occurs. This exam will investigate multiple measures of cardiovascular function, myocardial deformation, edema, fibrosis and oxygenation, 4D haemodynamical assessments, along with measurements of the aorta, liver and spleen. Furthermore, clinical data will be collected for the patients for the creation of a HFpEF database (ie. patient characteristics, Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ), HF and risk scores, laboratory biomarkers, diagnostic results). With this study, the investigator will be able to quantify longitudinal changes in CMR features within the HFpEF population, and investigate what features are associated with poor prognosis. The data collected will lead to a greater understanding of HFpEF, and hopefully show which clinical or imaging features can be used to identify, and better risk stratify this heterogenous population.