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Estimating Bilateral Atrial Function by Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Feature Tracking in Patients with Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation
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Published on: July 20, 2022

Subclinical and clinical correlates of left ventricular wall motion abnormalities in the community

Connie W Tsao1, Philimon Gona, Carol Salton

  • 1Harvard-Thorndike Laboratory, Boston, MA, USA.

The American Journal of Cardiology
|January 21, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Left ventricular wall motion abnormalities (WMAs) affect 4.2% of individuals without coronary heart disease or heart failure. These abnormalities correlate with cardiovascular disease risk factors, suggesting aggressive management is beneficial.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Cardiovascular Imaging
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Left ventricular (LV) wall motion abnormalities (WMAs) are linked to poor outcomes but are not well-characterized in the general population.
  • Understanding the prevalence and correlates of WMAs is crucial for identifying at-risk individuals.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the prevalence and clinical correlates of WMAs in a population-based cohort.
  • To investigate the association of WMAs with coronary artery calcium and established coronary heart disease and heart failure (CHD-HF).

Main Methods:

  • Cine cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) was used to assess LV function in 1,794 participants from the Framingham Heart Study Offspring Cohort.
  • Cardiac multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) was performed on a subset (n=1,009) for coronary artery calcium scoring.
  • WMAs were analyzed in relation to demographics, cardiovascular risk factors, and CHD-HF status.

Main Results:

  • WMAs were present in 6.5% of all participants and 4.2% of those without CHD-HF.
  • WMAs were associated with male gender, elevated hemoglobin A1c, increased LV mass, larger LV end-diastolic volume, and reduced LV ejection fraction.
  • In participants without CHD-HF, WMAs correlated with obesity, hypertension, and higher Framingham CHD risk scores, and were linked to high coronary artery calcium levels.

Conclusions:

  • WMAs are present in a notable proportion of individuals without clinically evident CHD-HF.
  • WMAs are associated with multiple cardiovascular disease risk factors, highlighting their subclinical significance.
  • Aggressive modification of cardiovascular risk factors is recommended for individuals with WMAs, especially those without established CHD-HF.

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