title: Reduced peak atrial systolic mitral annular velocity predicts the development of nonvalvular atrial fibrillation.
abstract: We investigated whether the echocardiographic parameters of the left atrium (LA) can predict the development of nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (AF). Among 14,062 patients (>20 years old) who underwent an echocardiographic examination were evaluated, 2,606 patients who underwent follow-up ECG with an interval of >6 months were investigated. Newly developed AF was noted in 42 (1.6%) patients with follow-up duration of 31.8 +/- 8.9 months. Cox regression analysis revealed that a higher left atrial volume index (hazard ratio [HR]=1.06; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.03-1.09, P < 0.001), relative wall thickness (RWT) of>or=0.407 (HR=2.74, 95% CI 1.39-5.41, P=0.004), a reduced peak atrial systolic mitral annular velocity (HR=0.845, 95% CI 0.72-0.99, P=0.037), and an advanced age (HR=1.04, 95% CI 1.01-1.07, P=0.009) were independently related to the development of nonvalvular AF. Therefore, reduced A', which is parameter of LA contractile function, might be an important predictor for the development of nonvalvular AF.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jin-Oh
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Hyejin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Soo Jin
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Ji Hyun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Bong Gun
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Sang Yeub
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jung Hyuk
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Sang-Chol
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Young Keun
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: On
authors.forename: Jun Soo
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Seung Woo
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods*; D054459:Elasticity Imaging Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008943:Mitral Valve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity