Predictive value of normal left atrial volume in stress echocardiography.
OBJECTIVE
Our objective was to evaluate whether normal left atrial volume index (LAVI) is a predictor of a normal stress echocardiogram and thus a predictor of low ischemic risk.


BACKGROUND
Left atrial enlargement is closely related to the chronicity and intensity of the burden of increased ventricular filling pressure. Typically ischemic heart disease (IHD) has a long period of subclinical dysfunction. Increased filling pressure, reflected by enlarged LAVI, is hypothesized to mirror the burden of subclinical and overt IHD. We hypothesized that a normal LAVI might also be useful in predicting low IHD risk.


METHODS
One hundred eighty randomly selected patients (mean age, 63 +/- 15 years; 53% men) underwent outpatient exercise or dobutamine stress echocardiography for known or suspected coronary artery disease. Left atrial volume index was measured retrospectively with the biplane area-length method. The stress echocardiogram was interpreted as abnormal if wall motion abnormalities (WMAs) were noted at rest and/or with stress.


RESULTS
Left atrial volume index was categorized as < or =28 ml/m2 (normal), 28.1 to 32 ml/m2, 32.1 to 36 ml/m2, and >36 ml/m2. Abnormal stress echocardiography was identified in 57 patients (31.7%). The percentage of abnormal stress echocardiograms in each LAVI category was 5.7%, 21.9%, 38.7%, and 54.7%, respectively. The negative predictive value for LAVI < or =28 ml/m2 was 94.3%.


CONCLUSIONS
Normal resting LAVI (< or =28 ml/m2) was strongly predictive of a normal stress echocardiogram. Left atrial volume index might be a simple means of identifying patients with low ischemic risk and should be further evaluated as a complement to the assessment of ischemic risk.
Alsaileek
Ahmed A
AA
Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota 55905, USA.
Osranek
Martin
M
Fatema
Kaniz
K
McCully
Robert B
RB
Tsang
Teresa S
TS
Seward
James B
JB
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D025401:Echocardiography, Stress; D005260:Female; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D018570:Risk Assessment