Left Atrial Stiffness Calculated by Left Atrial Strain is a Feasible Marker for Risk Stratification and Long Term Prognosis in Patients With Heart Failure

Introduction: It was reported that left atrial remodeling is occurred in patients with heart failure (HF), and increased left atrial volume index (LAVI) is a powerful predictor for poor prognosis of HF. Recently, it was reported that left atrial stiffness (LAS) reflects pulmonary capillary wedge pressure non-invasively. However, it remains to be determined whether LAS is useful for predicting poor prognosis in patients with HF. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that LAS can predict poor prognosis in patients with HF. Methods: We performed transthoracic echocardiography at discharge in 149 consecutive patients (male 94, 71 ± 13 years old) who hospitalized for HF and were prospectively followed up. There were 46 cardiac events (45%) including cardiac death or rehospitalization for HF during a median follow up period of 381 days (range 37-1438 days). LAS was calculated calculated by the early mitral inflow velocity divided by the early diastolic annular velocity (E/e’) and peak systolic left atrial strain (S-LAs),...