Echocardiographic evaluation of left atrial size and function: current understanding, pathophysiologic correlates, and prognostic implications.

Left atrial (LA) volume has recently been identified as a potential biomarker for cardiac and cerebrovascular disease. However, evidence regarding the prognostic implications of LA volume still remains unclear. Evaluation of LA size and function using traditional and more recent echocardiographic parameters is potentially feasible in the routine clinical setting.