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Atrial and ventricular arrhythmias in asymptomatic active elderly subjects: correlation with left atrial size and

D E Manyari1, C Patterson, D Johnson

  • 1Department of Medicine, University of Western Ontario Hospitals, Canada.

American Heart Journal
|May 1, 1990
PubMed

Insights

Elderly individuals often experience more cardiac arrhythmias. This study found that left atrial enlargement, common in aging, is linked to atrial arrhythmias, but increased left ventricular mass is not linked to ventricular arrhythmias.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Gerontology
  • Electrophysiology

Background:

  • Elderly individuals exhibit a higher prevalence of cardiac arrhythmias than younger populations.
  • Age-related changes in cardiac structure, such as left atrial enlargement and increased left ventricular mass, are common.
  • The relationship between these structural changes and the incidence/complexity of arrhythmias in the elderly requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between left atrial enlargement and atrial arrhythmias in asymptomatic elderly subjects.
  • To examine the relationship between increased left ventricular mass and ventricular arrhythmias in the same population.
  • To test the hypothesis that cardiac structural changes contribute to arrhythmias in normal aging.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized M-mode echocardiograms and 24-hour ambulatory electrocardiograms on 86 asymptomatic volunteers aged 60 years and older.
  • Assessed left atrial size and left ventricular mass index.
  • Quantified the frequency and complexity of atrial and ventricular arrhythmias.

Main Results:

  • Atrial arrhythmias were detected in 74% of subjects, with frequency and complexity correlating significantly with left atrial size (p < 0.01).
  • Ventricular arrhythmias were present in 64% of subjects.
  • No significant correlation was found between the frequency/complexity of ventricular arrhythmias and left ventricular mass index.

Conclusions:

  • Left atrial dilatation, a common finding in healthy aging, is a significant factor in the increased incidence of atrial arrhythmias.
  • Increased left ventricular mass in the elderly heart does not appear to be associated with a higher frequency or complexity of ventricular arrhythmias.
  • These findings highlight the specific role of left atrial size in age-related atrial arrhythmia pathophysiology.

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