Left atrial size and risk for all-cause mortality and ischemic stroke.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Limited data are available on the relation between left atrial size and outcome among patients referred for clinically indicated echocardiograms. Our aim was to assess the association of left atrial size with all-cause mortality and ischemic stroke in a large cohort of patients referred for echocardiography.

Methods

Left atrial diameter was measured in 52 639 patients aged 18 years or older (mean age 61.8 [standard deviation (SD) 16.3] years; 52.9% men) who underwent a first transthoracic echocardiogram for clinical reasons at our institution between April 1990 and March 2008. The outcomes were all-cause mortality and nonfatal ischemic stroke.

Results

Based on the criteria of the American Society of Echocardiography, 50.4% of the patients had no left atrial

SUBMITTER: Bouzas-Mosquera A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3134756 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature