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Updated: Mar 25, 2026
Estimating Bilateral Atrial Function by Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Feature Tracking in Patients with Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation
Published on: July 20, 2022
Echocardiographic quantification of systolic function during atrial fibrillation: probing the 'ten heart cycles' rule
Flemming Javier Olsen1, Peter Godsk Jørgensen1,2, Maria Dons1
1Department of Cardiology, Herlev & Gentofte Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Denmark, Niels Andersens Vej 65, 2900 Hellerup, Denmark.
Insights
Assessing left ventricular systolic function in atrial fibrillation is challenging. Global longitudinal strain may offer a more reliable measure than ejection fraction, accounting for heart rate and cycle length variations.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Echocardiography
- Cardiac Physiology
Background:
- Echocardiographic assessment of left ventricular systolic function is complicated in atrial fibrillation.
- Variable cycle length and increased heart rate impact preload and afterload, affecting measurements.
Observation:
- Traditional measures like left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) can be unreliable during atrial fibrillation.
- The study investigated methods to correct for cyclic variations in systolic output.
Findings:
- Global longitudinal strain (GLS) shows potential as a more robust metric for systolic function during atrial fibrillation.
- GLS may be preferable to LVEF for evaluating cardiac performance in this patient group.
Implications:
- Improved echocardiographic assessment can lead to better management of patients with atrial fibrillation.
- Utilizing GLS may enhance diagnostic accuracy and treatment strategies for cardiac dysfunction.
Abstract:
It is often difficult to provide an exact echocardiographic measure of left ventricular systolic function in patients with atrial fibrillation, partly because of the varying cycle length affecting pre and afterload and partly because of the increased heart rate often accompanying this arrhythmia. We sought to elucidate two points: whether it would be possible to correct for the cyclic variance in systolic output, and if global longitudinal strain is preferable to the left ventricular ejection fraction at evaluating systolic function during atrial fibrillation.
