title: Improvement of the myocardial performance index in atrial fibrilation patients treated with amiodarone after cardioversion.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study evaluated the response to electrical cardioversion (EC) and the effect on the myocardial performance index (MPI) in patients with persistent and long-standing persistent atrial fibrillation (AF).
  
  
  METHODS
  We enrolled 103 patients (mean age 69.6 ± 8.9 years, 40.7% males) with a diagnosis of persistent and long-standing persistent AF. EC was applied to all patients after one g of amiodarone administration. Echocardiographic findings before EC were compared in patients with successful versus unsuccessful cardioversions and in patients with maintained sinus rhythm (SR) versus those with AF recurrence at the end of the first month. We also compared echocardiographic data before EC versus at the end of the first month in the same patients with maintained SR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  SR was achieved in 72.8% of patients and was continued at the end of the first month in 69.3% of the patients. The MPI value of all patients was found to be 0.73 ± 0.21. The size of the left atrium was determined to be an independent predictor of the maintenance of SR at 1 month. In subgroup analyses, when we compared echocardiographic findings before EC and at the end of the first month in patients with maintained SR, the MPI (0.66 ± 0.14 vs 0.56 ± 0.09, p < 0.001) values were significantly decreased.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study is the first to show impairment of the MPI, which is an indicator of systolic and diastolic function, in patients with persistent and long-standing persistent AF and improvement of the MPI after successful EC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Duzce Ataturk State Hospital, Duzce, Turkey, feyzullahbesli@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Feyzullah
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Besli
authors.forename: Cengiz
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Basar
authors.forename: Mesut
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kecebas
authors.forename: Yasin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Turker
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000638:Amiodarone / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D004554:Electric Countershock / Q000379:methods*; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006334:Heart Function Tests; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013318:Stroke Volume / Q000502:physiology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000638:Amiodarone