PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This article provides a state-of-the-art perspective of left atrial anatomy and physiology. RECENT FINDINGS: Left atrial structure and function can be used to reflect and quantify the physiologic state of complex disease processes. No single left atrial anatomic, functional, or clinical feature will adequately define a complex system. The state of combined left atrial structural and functional features (i.e., systems biology) defines disease clustering (i.e., commonality of underlying left atrial pathophysiology), cause and effect (i.e., left atrial dynamics impute disease events as consequences), disease classification (e.g., primary vs. secondary atrial fibrillation), and intensity of a pathophysiologic state (i.e., quantifiably infer the magnitude of a pathophysiologic perturbation), and helps explain complex pathophysiology (e.g., myocyte death vs. hibernation). SUMMARY: Individual left atrial structural and functional features do not define the state of complex systems. Systems biology and multifeature profiles of left atrial anatomy and physiology should be used to assist the prediction, management, and, ultimately, prevention of preclinical and overt complex disease processes.
Last. Liza Thomas(UNSW: University of New South Wales)H-Index: 30
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Background Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality; hence detection of early cardiovascular involvement in CKD is important to prevent future adverse cardiovascular events. Left atrial (LA) enlargement and dysfunction has been reported in end stage renal disease. However, there is a paucity of published data regarding the evaluation of LA function in CKD using noninvasive imaging parameters. In this study, we evaluated biplane LA volume as...
Aims In individuals who exercise regularly and for extended periods of time, some structural alterations in the heart, called the athlete's heart, develop in time. These alterations vary in type, can be eccentric or concentric, depending on the nature of exercise. Speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) is a novel, angle-independent method that accurately and reliably measures systolic and diastolic functions of the left ventricle (LV) with considerably lower inter-operator variability. Methods ...
Background Left atrial volume (LAVol) is an important predictor of cardiovascular outcomes. Different formulas are applied to calculate LAVol using two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography (2DTTE) with variable reference values. The objective of the study was to evaluate the accuracy of methods to calculate LAVol by 2DTTE or cardiac computed tomography (CT). Methods and Results Overall 177 consecutive patients who underwent both a 2DTTE and retrospective electrocardiogram (ECG)-gated coron...
Objectives The hypothesis of this study was that minimal left atrial volume index (LAVImin) by 3-dimensional echocardiography (3DE) is the best predictor of future cardiovascular events. Background Although maximal left atrial volume index (LAVImax) by 2-dimensional echocardiography (2DE) is a robust index for predicting prognosis, the prognostic value of LAVImin and the superiority of measurements by 3DE over 2DE have not been determined in a large group of patients. Methods In protocol 1, we a...
Last. Sergio Mondillo(UNISI: University of Siena)H-Index: 39
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BACKGROUND: Aortic stenosis (AS) causes significant disturbances in left ventricular (LV) and left atrial (LA) function irrespective of the extent of myocardial hypertrophy which associates the inc ...
Abstract Left atrial (LA) enlargement is a predictor of cardiovascular outcomes such as atrial fibrillation (AF), stroke, and death. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between LA size and cognitive function in elderly patients without any signs of clinical dementia, AF or previous stroke. We assessed the cognitive status and LA volume (LAV) of 108 consecutive patients (27 males; mean age, 74.8 ± 6.9 years) with sinus rhythm. Cognitive status was assessed by the Mini Mental Sta...
The aim of this study was to evaluate left atrial deformations using speckle tracking echocardiography for predicting left atrial appendage (LAA) thrombus in patients with suspected cardioembolic stroke who were in normal sinus rhythm. A total of 153 ischemic stroke patients (89 males, 64 females) in sinus rhythm who were suspected of having cardioembolism were included in the study. The patients underwent conventional two-dimensional (2D) echocardiogram and 2D speckle tracking echocardiogram of...
BACKGROUND: Left atrial volume index (LAVI) increase has been associated to left ventricle (LV) diastolic dysfunction (DD), a marker of cardiovascular events (atrial fibrillation, stroke, heart failure, death). OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the relationship between LAVI and diferente grades od DD in Brazilian patients submitted to echocardiogram, studying LAVI increase determinants in this sample. METHODS: We have selected 500 outpatients submitted to echocardiography, after excluding arrhythmia, valva...
Last. Lluís Mont(University of Barcelona)H-Index: 79
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Left Atrial Sphericity Predicts AF Ablation Outcome Background Atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation outcome is mainly determined by atrial remodeling that, nowadays, is only estimated through clinical presentation (persistent vs. paroxysmal) and left atrial (LA) dimension. The aim of the study was to stage the atrial remodeling process using the Left Atrial Sphericity (LASP) and determine whether this technique may help to predict AF ablation outcome. Methods Consecutive patients who underwent cont...
Last. Csaba Lengyel(University of Szeged)H-Index: 20
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INTRODUCTION Little is known about the relationship between left atrium (LA) volumes and contractility features along the cardiac cycle. The present study aimed to assess, by three-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography (3DSTE), correlations between LA volumes, volume-based functional properties, and strains during the cardiac cycle in healthy adults. METHODS We included 217 healthy adult volunteers (mean age 33.4 ± 12.7 years, 112 males) who underwent complete two-dimensional Doppler ech...
Purpose of Review Given that the life expectancy and the burden of hypertension are projected to increase over the next decade, hypertensive heart disease (HHD) may be expected to play an even more central role in the pathophysiology of cardiovascular disease (CVD). A broader understanding of the features and underlying mechanisms that constitute HHD therefore is of paramount importance.
The left atrium plays an important role in the maintenance of cardiovascular and neurohumoral homeostasis in heart failure. However, with progressive left ventricular dysfunction, left atrial (LA) dilation and mechanical failure develop, which frequently culminate in atrial fibrillation. Moreover, LA mechanical failure is accompanied by LA endocrine failure [deficient atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) processing-synthesis/development of ANP resistance) and LA regulatory failure (dominance of symp...
Aims Left atrial (LA) volume is an important predictor of morbidity and mortality in cardiovascular disease. Left atrial strain is a feasible technique for assessing LA function. The EchoNoRMAL study recently highlighted the possibility that ethnic-based differences may exist in LA size. There is a paucity of data regarding LA parameters in an African population. We sought to establish normative values for LA volumetric and strain parameters in a black population. Methods and results This cross-...
Timothy E. Paterick1*, Naila Choudhary2, Krishnaswamy Chandrasekaran3, A. Jamil Tajik5, and Jim Seward4 1Professor of Medicine, Director of Noninvasive Imaging, University of Florida College of Medicine, Jacksonville, FL, USA 2Cardiology, Fellow , University of Florida , College of Medicine, Jacksonville, FL, USA 3Professor of Medicine, Mayo College of Medicine, Rochester, MN, USA 4Professor of Adult and Pediatric Cardiology, Emeritus Nasseff Professor of Cardiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester MN, U...
A bal pitvar nem egy passziv szivureg, mivel a szivciklusnak megfelelően dinamikus mozgast vegez es feszulesenek megfelelően pitvari natriureticus peptideket is elvalaszt. Bizonyos invaziv beavatkozasok soran a bal pitvar merete lenyegesen valtozhat, igy annak pontos merese es funkciojanak jellemzese esszencialis fontossagu. A jelen osszefoglalo kozlemeny celja a bal pitvari meretek es funkcionalis parameterek meresere jelenleg alkalmazott echokardiografias modszerek bemutatasa. Orv. Hetil., 201...