Introduction: The Challenge of Residual Risk in CPVT
Catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT) remains one of the most challenging inherited arrhythmia syndromes to manage in clinical practice. Characterized by exercise- or emotion-induced bidirectional or polymorphic ventricular tachycardia, CPVT frequently leads to sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) in otherwise healthy children and young adults. While β-blockers have long been the cornerstone of therapy, clinical experience has shown that a significant subset of patients continues to experience life-threatening arrhythmic events (AEs) despite adherence to treatment.
Until recently, clinicians lacked a robust, validated tool to quantify this residual risk. The recent publication by Lieve et al. in the European Heart Journal (2025) addresses this unmet need by providing a validated risk stratification model specifically for patients with ryanodine receptor 2 (RYR2)-mediated CPVT on β-blocker monotherapy.
Highlights of the Research
The study provides several critical insights for the management of CPVT:
1. The development of the first externally validated risk prediction models for both any arrhythmic events (AEs) and near-fatal/fatal arrhythmic events (nf/fAEs).
2. Identification of age at β-blocker initiation and prior history of arrhythmic syncope or SCA as the primary predictors of future events.
3. Quantification of the prognostic value of pre-treatment ventricular arrhythmia severity in predicting fatal outcomes.
4. Provision of a clinical framework to move beyond universal treatment protocols toward individualized escalation of therapy, such as flecainide or left cardiac sympathetic denervation (LCSD).
Study Design and Methodology
The researchers conducted a comprehensive international multicenter study involving a large cohort of patients with RYR2-mediated CPVT. The derivation cohort included 743 patients, while an independent validation cohort consisted of 129 patients. This dual-cohort approach is essential for ensuring that the predictive model is generalizable across different clinical settings and populations.
Patient Population and Endpoints
All patients in the study were treated with β-blocker monotherapy. The primary endpoints were defined as follows:
– Arrhythmic Events (AEs): Included arrhythmic syncope, appropriate implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) shocks, SCA, and sudden cardiac death (SCD).
– Near-fatal or Fatal AEs (nf/fAEs): A composite of all AEs excluding arrhythmic syncope, representing the most severe clinical outcomes.
Statistical Modeling
Prediction models were developed using Cox regression analysis. To ensure the reliability of the results, the models underwent both internal validation (using optimism-correction techniques) and external validation in the independent cohort. Performance was measured using C-indices to assess discrimination and calibration slopes to assess the agreement between predicted and observed risks.
Key Findings: Identifying the High-Risk Phenotype
The study followed patients over a median of 5.1 years in the derivation cohort and 2.4 years in the validation cohort. A total of 102 patients (13.7%) in the derivation group experienced at least one AE during follow-up, highlighting the persistence of risk despite standard-of-care β-blockade.
Predictors of Arrhythmic Events
The analysis identified several independent predictors for future AEs:
1. History of Arrhythmic Syncope or SCA: Patients who had experienced severe symptoms prior to diagnosis were at significantly higher risk for recurrent events while on treatment.
2. Age at β-blocker Initiation: Younger age at the start of treatment was associated with a higher risk of subsequent AEs. This likely reflects a more aggressive disease phenotype in those who present earlier in life.
Predictors of Near-fatal or Fatal Events
For the more severe nf/fAE endpoint, a fourth independent predictor was identified: ventricular arrhythmia (VA) severity before the initiation of β-blockers. Patients exhibiting more complex arrhythmias (such as bidirectional VT or high-grade ectopy) during initial exercise testing or monitoring were more likely to suffer fatal or near-fatal outcomes later.
Model Performance
In the derivation cohort, the model for any AE achieved an optimism-corrected C-index of 0.67. The model for nf/fAE performed even better, with a C-index of 0.74. While the C-indices were slightly lower in the validation cohort (0.59 and 0.60, respectively), the calibration slopes were excellent (1.00), suggesting that the models are highly accurate in their risk estimates, even if their ability to perfectly discriminate between individuals remains modest—a common finding in rare disease modeling.
Clinical Implications and Expert Commentary
The introduction of these validated models represents a shift toward precision medicine in the management of CPVT. For years, the decision to add flecainide or perform LCSD was often reactive—occurring only after a patient failed β-blocker therapy by experiencing a breakthrough event.
Moving Toward Proactive Management
With these models, clinicians can now identify high-risk individuals at the time of diagnosis. For a patient who presents at age 8 with a history of SCA and complex VAs, the model would likely indicate a very high probability of breakthrough events on β-blocker monotherapy alone. In such cases, a primary strategy of combination therapy (β-blocker plus flecainide) or early LCSD may be justified to prevent a potentially fatal outcome.
The Importance of β-Blocker Choice
While the study focused on β-blocker monotherapy as a whole, it is important for clinicians to remember that not all β-blockers are created equal in CPVT. Previous research has suggested that nadolol, a non-selective β-blocker with a long half-life, is superior to selective agents like metoprolol. The risk scores provided by this model should be interpreted in the context of optimal β-blocker dosing and selection.
Mechanistic Insights: The Role of RYR2
The ryanodine receptor 2 is the primary calcium release channel in the cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum. Mutations in RYR2 lead to ‘leaky’ channels that release calcium prematurely during the diastolic phase, especially under catecholaminergic stress. This triggers delayed afterdepolarizations (DADs) and subsequent ventricular arrhythmias. The finding that early-onset symptoms and pre-treatment VA severity are strong predictors suggests that certain RYR2 mutations result in a more profound loss of calcium handling stability, which β-blockers alone cannot fully compensate for.
Summary and Conclusion
The work by Lieve et al. provides a much-needed tool for the clinical cardiology community. By utilizing readily available clinical parameters—age at treatment, prior symptoms, and VA severity—physicians can now stratify RYR2-CPVT patients into low- and high-risk categories for breakthrough events.
While the models are not perfect, they offer a significant improvement over clinical intuition alone. Future research should focus on whether incorporating specific genetic mutation data (e.g., location of the RYR2 mutation in specific domains) or response to therapy on exercise testing can further refine these predictions. For now, these models serve as a vital guide for the implementation of more aggressive clinical management strategies to protect the most vulnerable patients with CPVT.
References
1. Lieve KV, van der Werf C, Kallas D, et al. Catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia mediated by ryanodine receptor 2: a validated risk stratification. Eur Heart J. 2025 Dec 19:ehaf965. doi: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehaf965.
2. Priori SG, Napolitano C, Tiso N, et al. Mutations in the cardiac ryanodine receptor gene (RyR2) underlie catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia. Circulation. 2001;103(2):196-200.
3. van der Werf C, Kannankeril PJ, Sacher F, et al. Flecainide therapy reduces ventricular arrhythmias in patients with catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2011;57(22):2244-2254.
