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Assessment of posterior aortic wall motion using echocardiogram in patients with atrial fibrillation
S Nobuoka1, S Hatano, A Yoshida
1Second Department of Internal Medicine, St. Marianna University, School of Medicine, Kanagawa, Japan.
Insights
This study shows that the R-R interval-Left Atrial Emptying Index relation effectively assesses left ventricular diastolic function in atrial fibrillation patients. This method aids in determining optimal heart rates for individuals with chronic atrial fibrillation.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Echocardiography
- Cardiac Physiology
Background:
- Atrial fibrillation (AF) presents challenges for noninvasive assessment of left ventricular (LV) diastolic function.
- Determining optimal heart rate in chronic AF requires reliable functional parameters.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate LV diastolic function noninvasively in AF patients using posterior aortic wall echocardiography.
- To identify a parameter for optimal heart rate determination in chronic AF.
Main Methods:
- 12 patients with AF were studied, divided into 'AF only' (n=7) and 'dilated cardiomyopathy' (DCM, n=5) groups.
- Left Atrial Emptying Index (LAEI) from posterior aortic wall echocardiogram assessed LV diastolic function.
- R-R interval-LAEI relationship and minimum R-R interval for LAEI=1.0 were analyzed.
Main Results:
- A strong correlation between R-R interval and LAEI was observed up to LAEI=1.0 in all patients.
- The regression line slope was significantly steeper in the AF only group compared to the DCM group.
- The minimum R-R interval yielding LAEI=1.0 was significantly shorter in the AF only group.
Conclusions:
- The R-R interval-LAEI relation is a valuable tool for noninvasive LV diastolic function assessment in AF.
- This parameter holds potential for clinical application in optimizing heart rate management for AF patients.
Background And Hypothesis:
Noninvasive evaluation of left ventricular (LV) diastolic function was performed on 12 patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) using posterior aortic wall echocardiogram and a parameter for determining the optimal heart rate in patients with chronic atrial fibrillation was considered.
Methods:
Subjects were divided into two groups; one with no underlying cardiac disease (AF only group; n = 7) and the other with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM group; n = 5). Left atrial emptying index (LAEI) obtained from the posterior aortic wall echocardiogram was used as the parameter of LV diastolic function, and R-R interval-LAEI relation and minimum R-R interval showing LAEI = 1.0 were investigated and compared between the two groups.
Results:
There was a good correlation between R-R interval and LAEI until LAEI of 1.0 was obtained in all patients. Slope of the regression line was significantly steeper in the AF only group than in the DCM group, and minimum R-R interval showing LAEI = 1.0 was significantly shorter in the AF only group.
Conclusion:
Assessment of R-R interval-LAEI relation was useful for the noninvasive evaluation of LV diastolic function, and this parameter could be used for clinical application to determine the optimal heart rate in atrial fibrillation.