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Estimating Bilateral Atrial Function by Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Feature Tracking in Patients with Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation
Published on: July 20, 2022
Left atrial enlargement and reduced physical function during aging
Andrew A Pellett1, Leann Myers, Michael Welsch
1Dept. of Cardiopulmonary Science, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA.
Journal of Aging and Physical Activity
|December 15, 2012
Summary
Diastolic dysfunction in older adults is linked to reduced physical function. Increased left atrial volume index, an echocardiographic measure, may indicate impaired daily living activities in aging individuals.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Cardiology
- Physiology
Background:
- Diastolic dysfunction is common in aging and linked to decreased exercise capacity and higher mortality.
- Functional limitations and disability often precede mortality in older populations.
- Understanding the link between cardiac function and physical performance is crucial for healthy aging.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine which echocardiographic measures of diastolic function correlate with physical function in older adults.
- To identify potential cardiac markers for functional decline in the elderly.
Main Methods:
- The study included 36 participants (age 62-101 years) from the Louisiana Healthy Aging Study.
- Participants underwent a complete echocardiographic examination.
- Physical function was assessed using the 10-item continuous-scale physical-functional performance test (CS-PFP-10).
Main Results:
- After adjusting for age and gender, the left atrial volume index showed a significant negative correlation with the total CS-PFP-10 score (ρ = -0.59; p = .0005).
- This indicates that a larger left atrial volume index is associated with poorer physical function.
Conclusions:
- Increased left atrial volume index may serve as a marker for impaired performance in activities of daily living among older individuals.
- Echocardiographic assessment of diastolic function could help identify older adults at risk for functional decline.
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