title: Independent prognostic value of left atrial function by two-dimensional speckle tracking imaging in patients with non -ST-segment-elevation acute myocardial infarction.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The objective of this study is to evaluate left atrial(LA) function and its prognostic value by two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) in patients with non-ST-segment-elevation acute myocardial infarction (NSTEAMI).
  
  
  METHODS
  Global longitudinal LA S/SR data obtained by 2D speckle imaging with automated software (Echo PAC, GE Medical).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Clinical variables and angiographic, echocardiographic, and STE parameters were studied in 65 patients with NSTEAMI (51 males and 14 females; mean age of 60.7 ± 9.8 years) who underwent elective PCI. The final study population consisted of 51 individuals (43 males and 8 females; mean age of 62.9 ± 11.1 years) and a 12 ± 3 months follow-up was performed. A total of 22 combined cardiovascular events(20 patients) occurred. With the use of Univariable Cox regression, all parameters were evaluated in the prediction of cardiac events, ischemic events, and/or cardiac death. According to ROC analysis, baseline mean global left atrial SRs (ROC area 0.82, p = 0.001) and baseline mean global left atrial SRe (ROC area 0.68, p = 0.036) were the only predictive variables.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In patients with NSTEAMI, we found that the novel global strain parameter of left atrial function is a valuable predictor of combined cardiovascular events over conventional echocardiography and may therefore be an important clinical tool for risk stratification in the acute phase of NSTEAMI.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Sanxiang Street 1055, Suzhou, China. aquariusheart@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Chunlai
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Sanxiang Street 1055, Suzhou, China. zjsuzhou@163.com.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Sanxiang Street 1055, Suzhou, China. chenjc@medmail.com.cn.
authors.forename: Jianchang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Sanxiang Street 1055, Suzhou, China. xuwt1968@aliyun.com.
authors.forename: Weiting
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D016279:Atrial Function, Left / Q000502:physiology*; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D005260:Female; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery; D062645:Percutaneous Coronary Intervention; D011379:Prognosis; D014463:Ultrasonography