Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: Background
Limited data are available on the relation between left atrial size and outcome among patients referred for clinically indicated echocardiograms. Our aim was to assess the association of left atrial size with all-cause mortality and ischemic stroke in a large cohort of patients referred for echocardiography.Methods
Left atrial diameter was measured in 52 639 patients aged 18 years or older (mean age 61.8 [standard deviation (SD) 16.3] years; 52.9% men) who underwent a first transthoracic echocardiogram for clinical reasons at our institution between April 1990 and March 2008. The outcomes were all-cause mortality and nonfatal ischemic stroke.Results
Based on the criteria of the American Society of Echocardiography, 50.4% of the patients had no left atrial enlargement, whereas 24.5% had mild, 13.3% had moderate and 11.7% had severe left atrial enlargement. Over a mean follow-up period of 5.5 (SD 4.1) years, 12 527 patients died, and 2314 patients had a nonfatal ischemic stroke. Cumulative 10-year survival was 73.7% among patients with normal left atrial size, 62.5% among those with mild enlargement, 54.8% among those with moderate enlargement and 45% among those with severe enlargement (p < 0.001). After adjustment in multivariable Cox proportional hazard analysis, left atrial diameter remained a predictor of all-cause mortality in both sexes (hazard ratio [HR] per 1-cm increment in left atrial size 1.17, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.12-1.22, p < 0.001 in women, and HR 1.09, 95% CI 1.05-1.13, p < 0.001 in men) and of ischemic stroke in women (HR 1.25, 95% CI 1.14-1.37, p < 0.001).Interpretation
Left atrial diameter has a graded and independent association with all-cause mortality in both sexes and with ischemic stroke in women.
SUBMITTER: Bouzas-Mosquera A
PROVIDER: S-EPMC3134756 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Jul
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Bouzas-Mosquera Alberto A Broullón Francisco J FJ Álvarez-García Nemesio N Méndez Elizabet E Peteiro Jesús J Gándara-Sambade Teresa T Prada Oscar O Mosquera Víctor X VX Castro-Beiras Alfonso A
CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne 20110524 10
<h4>Background</h4>Limited data are available on the relation between left atrial size and outcome among patients referred for clinically indicated echocardiograms. Our aim was to assess the association of left atrial size with all-cause mortality and ischemic stroke in a large cohort of patients referred for echocardiography.<h4>Methods</h4>Left atrial diameter was measured in 52 639 patients aged 18 years or older (mean age 61.8 [standard deviation (SD) 16.3] years; 52.9% men) who underwent a ...[more]