strain evaluation of left atrial function: ready for the future?

Evaluation of Left Atrial Function with Strain Imaging: Is it Ready for “Prime Time”?

Nearly one in three or four adults in the world (over 50 million people in the US alone) has systemic hypertension, many of whom are unaware and untreated. Hypertension is listed among the three leading risk factors for death from cardiovascular diseases by the World Health organization and thus, has been called “the silent killer”. It is also a leading cause of heart failure with preserved eje...

A Semi-Automated Algorithm for Segmentation of the Left Atrial Appendage Landing Zone: Application in Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion Procedures

Background: Mechanical occlusion of the Left atrial appendage (LAA) using a purpose-built device has emerged as an effective prophylactic treatment in patients with atrial fibrillation at risk of stroke and a contraindication for anticoagulation. A crucial step in procedural planning is the choice of the device size. This is currently based on the manual analysis of the “Device Landing Zone” fr...

Do left atrial strain and strain rate reflect intrinsic atrial function, or are they determined by left ventricular function?

BACKGROUND Left atrial (LA) strain (S) and strain rate (SR) are reported as measures of intrinsic function. AIM Since the LA and left ventricle (LV) are connected through the mitral annulus, we investigated: (1) if deformation indices in the LA are mostly predicted by deformation of the LV; (2) if timings of S and SR events are similar in both the LA and LV; and (3) if alteration of S and SR ...

Evaluation of the Relationship between Circadian Blood Pressure Variation and Left Atrial Function Using Strain Imaging

BACKGROUND Non-dippers were reported as showing different left atrial function, compared to dippers, but no study to date investigated the changes in the left atrial function according to the diurnal blood pressure pattern, using tissue Doppler and strain imaging. METHODS Forty never treated hypertensive patients between 30 and 80 years of age were enrolled in this study. Patients were classi...

echocardiographic assessment of left atrial mechanics: are we ready for daily clinical use?

comparison of left atrial function between hypertensive patients with normal atrial size and normotensive subjects using strain rate imaging technique