Pulmonary arterial PWV derived from PREFUL MRI was higher in PH and independently associated with right ventricular function and 12-month mortality.
Pulmonary arterial pulse wave velocity (PWV) was significantly higher in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) compared to chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH).
PWV was independently associated with 12-month mortality in participants with pulmonary hypertension.
PWV showed an independent negative association with right ventricular ejection fraction in participants with pulmonary hypertension.
PWV showed an independent positive association with perfusion defect percentage in participants with pulmonary hypertension.
PREFUL MRI-based PWV was derived from 1.5 T spoiled gradient-echo sequences and used to calculate quantified perfusion and perfusion defect percentages.
This research suggests that a new type of lung MRI scan can measure how fast pressure waves travel through the pulmonary arteries (the vessels carrying blood from the heart to the lungs), a measurement called pulse wave velocity (PWV). When blood vessels are stiffer — as they often become in pulmonary hypertension, a serious condition where blood pressure in the lung arteries is abnormally high — this wave travels faster. The study analyzed data from 632 patients across multiple centers who were being evaluated for pulmonary hypertension, using a specialized MRI technique called phase-resolved functional lung (PREFUL) MRI. The key finding is that higher PWV measured by this MRI technique was strongly linked to a greater risk of dying within 12 months — each standard deviation increase in PWV was associated with more than double the risk of death. PWV was also higher in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension compared to those with a related condition called chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension, and it was independently associated with poorer right heart function and greater defects in blood flow through the lungs. This research suggests that PREFUL MRI could offer a non-invasive way to assess pulmonary artery stiffness and predict outcomes in patients with pulmonary hypertension, potentially providing prognostic information without the need for more invasive procedures like right heart catheterization. If validated further, this technique could help clinicians identify higher-risk patients and potentially guide treatment decisions.
Klein M, Voskrebenzev A, Klimeš F, Speth M, Müller R, Olsson K, et al.. (2026). Phase-Resolved Functional Lung MRI-derived Pulmonary Arterial Pulse Wave Velocity Correlates with 12-Month Mortality in Participants with Pulmonary Hypertension: A Post Hoc Analysis of a Multicenter Study.. Radiology. Cardiothoracic imaging. https://doi.org/10.1148/ryct.250508