title: Left atrial enlargement and reduced physical function during aging.
abstract: Diastolic dysfunction, often seen with increasing age, is associated with reduced exercise capacity and increased mortality. Mortality rates in older individuals are linked to the development of disability, which may be preceded by functional limitations. The goal of this study was to identify which echocardiographic measures of diastolic function correlate with physical function in older subjects. A total of 36 men and women from the Louisiana Healthy Aging Study, age 62-101 yr, received a complete echocardiographic exam and performed the 10-item continuous-scale physical-functional performance test (CS-PFP-10). After adjustment for age and gender, left atrial volume index (ρ = -0.59; p = .0005) correlated with the total CS-PFP-10 score. Increased left atrial volume index may be a marker of impaired performance of activities of daily living in older individuals.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Cardiopulmonary Science, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA.
authors.forename: Andrew A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Pellett
authors.forename: Leann
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Myers
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Welsch
authors.forename: S Michal
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Jazwinski
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Welsh
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006332:Cardiomegaly / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003971:Diastole / Q000502:physiology; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008145:Louisiana; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009929:Organ Size; D010807:Physical Endurance / Q000502:physiology