title: Age, left atrial dimension and arterial stiffness after external cardioversion of atrial fibrillation. A vascular component in arrhythmia maintenance? Results from a preliminary study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most frequent arrhythmia in elderly patients. Aims of this study were to evaluate the predictors of arterial stiffness after external cardioversion (ECV) of AF and to establish whether a link exists between vascular properties and left atrial diameter (LAD).
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied 33 patients (age 73 ± 12 years). After 5 h from ECV of persistent AF, an echocardiogram was recorded and arterial stiffness was evaluated with cardio-ankle vascular stiffness index (CAVI).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In multivariate analysis (R = 0.538, p = 0.006), CAVI (mean 9.60 ± 1.63) increased with age (p = 0.018) and with an AF length ≤3 months (p = 0.022). LAD was significantly related to CAVI (p = 0.007) even after adjustment for interventricular septum thickness (p = 0.018) (R = 0.574, p = 0.002).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In patients with AF, immediately after ECV, arterial stiffness is associated with age and AF length, and could represent an important factor for left atrium remodeling and, therefore, for AF maintenance.
authors.affiliation: Intensive Care Unit and Geriatric Arrhythmology Unit, Division of Geriatric Cardiology and Medicine, and Research Unit of Medicine of Aging, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence and AOU Careggi, Viale Pieraccini, 6, 50139, Florence, Italy, fumadue@tin.it.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fumagalli
authors.forename: Debbie
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gabbai
authors.forename: Besmir
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nreu
authors.forename: Anna T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.forename: Serena
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Boni
authors.forename: Alice
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ceccofiglio
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fracchia
authors.forename: Samuele
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Baldasseroni
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tarantini
authors.forename: Niccolò
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Marchionni
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D004554:Electric Countershock; D005260:Female; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014463:Ultrasonography; D059289:Vascular Stiffness