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Updated: Oct 29, 2025

Estimating Bilateral Atrial Function by Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Feature Tracking in Patients with Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation
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Estimating Bilateral Atrial Function by Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Feature Tracking in Patients with Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation

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Atrial fibrillation is associated with increased central blood pressure and arterial stiffness

Priit Pauklin1,2, Jaan Eha1,2, Kaspar Tootsi3

  • 1Department of Cardiology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia.

Journal of Clinical Hypertension (Greenwich, Conn.)
|July 12, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) exhibit increased arterial stiffness (AS) and central blood pressure (cBP). Beta blockers (BBs) may adversely affect central blood pressure in AF patients.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Medicine
  • Clinical Physiology

Background:

  • Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common arrhythmia managed with beta blockers (BBs).
  • Arterial stiffness (AS) and central blood pressure (cBP) are crucial cardiovascular parameters.
  • Understanding the interplay between AF, AS, cBP, and BBs is clinically significant.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare arterial stiffness (AS) and central blood pressure (cBP) in patients with AF versus healthy individuals.
  • To investigate the impact of beta blockers (BBs) on cBP in AF patients.

Main Methods:

  • Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV) and cBP were measured in 76 AF patients and 75 healthy controls.
  • Peripheral blood pressure (pBP) and heart rate (HR) were also recorded.
  • Statistical analysis, including adjusted regression models, was performed.

Main Results:

  • AF patients demonstrated significantly higher PWV, central systolic blood pressure (cSBP), and central pulse pressure (cPP) compared to controls.
  • AF patients exhibited lower pulse pressure amplification (PPA).
  • Beta blocker (BB) use was associated with a significant reduction in PPA.

Conclusions:

  • Increased arterial stiffness (AS) may play a role in the pathophysiology of atrial fibrillation (AF).
  • AF patients present with distinct central hemodynamic profiles compared to healthy individuals.
  • Beta blocker (BB) therapy might have implications for central blood pressure regulation in AF.

Keywords:
arterial stiffnessatrial fibrillationbeta blockerscentral blood pressurepulse wave velocity

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