Abstract 18784: Impaired Left Atrial Strain is a Risk Factor for New-Onset Atrial Fibrillation

• Published in: Circulation (New York, N.Y.) N.Y.), 2023-11, Vol.148 (Suppl_1)
• Main Authors: Sherer, Jason, Dahan, Shani, Plakht, Ygal, Al-Alusi, Mostafa, Khurshid, Shaan, Lubitz, Steven A, Ellinor, Patrick T, Van Kampen, Antonia, Hung, Judy
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0009-7322; 1524-4539
• DOI: 10.1161/circ.148.suppl_1.18784

Abstract only Introduction: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia, affecting millions of individuals. Left atrial (LA) strain, a measure of LA function and remodeling, holds potential as a prognostic indicator for AF development. We aimed to examine whether LA strain is associated with new onset AF. Methods: We performed a nested case-control study within an electronic health record-based longitudinal cohort of primary care patients from a multi-institutional healthcare system spanning 2001 to 2018. Cases included patients who developed new-onset AF during a follow-up period of 7.3 years and had undergone transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) within three years of the follow-up start. Several LA strain parameters were compared between the case and control groups, including Peak Atrial Longitudinal Strain (PALS), Left Atrial Conduit Strain (LACS), and Peak Atrial Contraction Strain (PACS). Results: The study included 216 patients who developed AF during follow-up each matched with a corresponding age- and sex-matched control without AF. The AF group had significantly lower PALS (25.9 ± 8.9 vs. 34.3 ± 10.4, p