Chronotropic Assessment in Patients with Constrictive Pericarditis

Management of constrictive pericarditis is often clinically challenging. Heart rate (HR) modulation using ivabradine is associated with improved clinical outcomes in patients with systolic heart failure, although it remains uninvestigated for other clinical purposes. We aimed to assess the impact of HR control in patients with constrictive pericarditis. In this retrospective study, consecutive patients who were diagnosed with constrictive pericarditis were included. Transthoracic echocardiography was performed at index discharge (day 0). The impact of HR difference between actual HR and ideal HR, which was calculated using a formula consisting of deceleration time, on heart failure readmission rates was investigated. A total of 15 patients (73 years old on median, 11 men) with constrictive pericarditis were included. On median, actual HR was 71 bpm and ideal HR was 81 bpm. Heart failure readmission rates were stratified into three groups by the HR difference: (1) optimal HR group satisfying "-10 bpm ≤ HR difference ≤ 10 bpm" (n = 4, 0.067 events per year); (2) lower HR group satisfying "HR difference 10 bpm" (n = 4, 0.231 events per year, incidence rate ratio 9.22, 95% confidence interval 0.36-237.8). In conclusion, non-optimized HR was associated with an increased risk of heart failure recurrence in patients with constrictive pericarditis. Prospective assessment of deceleration time-guided HR optimization in patients with constrictive pericarditis is needed.