Severe tricuspid regurgitation is common among elderly patients with multiple comorbidities, yet predictors of benefit from isolated tricuspid valve interventions remain poorly defined. A multicenter study presented at the European Society of Cardiology Conference 2025 highlighted key factors linked to futile outcomes after tricuspid valve interventions. 

The study analyzed 546 patients who underwent isolated surgical or transcatheter tricuspid valve interventions. Futility—defined as heart failure readmission or all-cause mortality within one year—occurred in 25% of cases. Multivariate analysis identified seven independent predictors of futile outcomes, including high comorbidity burden, frailty, CIED-related tricuspid regurgitation, prior heart failure admissions, pulmonary hypertension, and elevated hepatic enzymes.

These predictors were combined into the Fu-TRI-L score, which demonstrated strong discriminative performance with an area under the ROC curve of 0.75. A score of ≥8 was associated with a sixfold increase in the odds of futility. This tool may help clinicians select patients most likely to benefit from tricuspid valve interventions, potentially improving outcomes and guiding decision-making as transcatheter therapies advance.