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Catheter Ablation in Combination With Left Atrial Appendage Closure for Atrial Fibrillation
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Catheter Ablation in Combination With Left Atrial Appendage Closure for Atrial Fibrillation

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Left atrial dilatation is associated with severe ischemic stroke in men with non-valvular atrial fibrillation

Tae-Won Kim1, Sung-Woo Jung1, In-Uk Song1

  • 1Department of Neurology,College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea.

Journal of the Neurological Sciences
|May 24, 2015
PubMed

Insights

Increased left atrial volume predicts worse stroke severity in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). Left atrial enlargement, particularly in men, is linked to more severe initial neurologic deficits, highlighting the importance of recognizing atrial abnormalities.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Neurology
  • Medical Imaging

Background:

  • Non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) is a significant risk factor for ischemic stroke.
  • Increased left atrial volume is a known predictor of cardiovascular events in NVAF patients.
  • The relationship between left atrial size and ischemic stroke severity or lesion patterns remains under-investigated.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between left atrial enlargement and initial ischemic stroke severity.
  • To determine if left atrial diameter (LAD) and left atrial volume index (LAVI) correlate with stroke severity.
  • To explore the relationship between atrial abnormalities and ischemic lesion patterns in NVAF patients.

Main Methods:

  • Recruited anticoagulation-naïve patients with acute ischemic stroke and NVAF.
  • Stratified patients into moderate-to-severe (NIHSS≥10) and mild neurologic deficit groups.
  • Compared LAD and LAVI between groups, analyzing correlations with National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores and lesion patterns.

Main Results:

  • Increased LAD and LAVI were significantly associated with moderate-to-severe neurologic deficits, particularly in men.
  • Men with higher LAD and LAVI tertiles exhibited more severe stroke symptoms.
  • LAVI showed a significant positive correlation with NIHSS scores in all patients (r=0.215; p=0.045).

Conclusions:

  • Left atrial enlargement (increased LAD and LAVI) is linked to worse initial neurologic deficits in acute ischemic stroke patients with NVAF, especially men.
  • Early identification of atrial abnormalities is crucial.
  • Effective anticoagulation strategies may mitigate thrombogenesis in NVAF.
Abstract

Keywords:
Atrial fibrillationIschemic strokeLeft atrial volumeNon-valvularSeverity

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