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Determinants of arterial stiffness in patients with atrial fibrillation

Tetyana Shchetynska-Marinova1, Volker Liebe1, Theano Papavassiliu2

  • 1First department of medicine (cardiology), University Medical Centre Mannheim, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, European Centre for AngioScience (ECAS), 68167 Mannheim, Germany.

Archives of Cardiovascular Diseases
|April 27, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Arterial stiffness, measured by aortic distensibility, is significantly reduced in patients with atrial fibrillation. Lower aortic distensibility predicts cardiovascular events and atrial fibrillation recurrence.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Vascular Medicine
  • Biomedical Engineering

Background:

  • Arterial stiffness is a key predictor of cardiovascular disease and mortality.
  • The link between arterial stiffness and atrial fibrillation requires further elucidation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare arterial stiffness in atrial fibrillation patients versus controls.
  • To investigate predictors of arterial stiffness and its association with clinical outcomes.

Main Methods:

  • 151 atrial fibrillation patients and 54 controls were assessed for aortic distensibility using transesophageal echocardiography.
  • Patients were followed for a median of 21 months.

Main Results:

  • Atrial fibrillation patients exhibited significantly lower aortic distensibility than controls.
  • Age and pulse pressure were the strongest predictors of reduced aortic distensibility.
  • Decreased aortic distensibility predicted cardiovascular hospitalizations, all-cause hospitalizations, and atrial fibrillation recurrence.

Conclusions:

  • Reduced aortic distensibility is characteristic of atrial fibrillation patients, independent of atrial fibrillation type.
  • Lower aortic distensibility correlates with increased cardiovascular events and atrial fibrillation recurrence in a quartile-dependent manner.
Abstract

Keywords:
Aortic distensibilityArterial stiffnessAtrial fibrillationDistensibilité aortiqueFibrillation auriculaireLeft atrial volume indexRigidité artérielleTaille de l’oreille gaucheTransoesophageal echocardiographyÉchocardiographie transœsophagienne

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