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Updated: Oct 31, 2025
08:10
Estimating Bilateral Atrial Function by Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Feature Tracking in Patients with Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation
Published on: July 20, 2022
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Genetic and Clinical Predictors of Left Atrial Thrombus: A Single Center Case-Control Study
Adrian Springer1,2, Ruben Schleberger1, Florian Oyen3
1Department of Cardiology, University Heart and Vascular Center, Hamburg, Germany.
Summary
Left atrial thrombus formation in atrial fibrillation patients is linked to stroke risk. While common genetic factors weren't significant, a von Willebrand factor variant (VWF-V) showed a trend in younger patients, suggesting a potential risk factor.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Genetics
- Thrombosis
Background:
- Left atrial (LA) thrombus formation is a primary cause of thromboembolic events in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients.
- Factors contributing to LA thrombus development beyond clinical risk factors remain incompletely understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate clinical characteristics and genetic thrombophilia markers associated with LA thrombus formation in AF patients.
- To identify potential novel risk factors for LA thrombogenesis.
Main Methods:
- A case-control study comparing 42 AF patients with LA thrombus (LAT) to 68 AF patients without LA thrombus (CTR).
- Analysis included clinical data (CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc score, LA volume, LA appendage emptying velocity) and genetic markers (factor V Leiden (FVL), prothrombin G20210A (FIIV), von Willebrand factor Tyr2561 variant (VWF-V)).
Main Results:
- LAT patients exhibited higher CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc scores, larger LA volumes, and reduced LA appendage emptying velocity compared to CTR patients.
- No significant difference in the prevalence of FVL, FIIV, or VWF-V mutations was observed between groups.
- A trend towards higher VWF-V incidence was noted in the LAT subgroup younger than 65 years (27% vs. 7%, P=0.066).
Conclusions:
- Clinical factors like stroke risk score, LA volume, and LA appendage function are significantly associated with LA thrombus formation in AF.
- While common thrombophilia mutations were not strongly linked, the VWF-V variant warrants further investigation as a potential risk factor for LA thrombogenesis, particularly in younger AF patients.
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