Left atrial function in middle-aged men and women with and without paroxysmal atrial fibrillation: Data from the Akershus Cardiac Examination (ACE) 1950 study.

Purpose: To assess left atrial (LA) function in individuals with known paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) compared with healthy and nonhealthy individuals without atrial fibrillation.

Methods: The Akershus Cardiac Examination 1950 Study included 3,706 individuals all born in 1950. LA strain assessment of reservoir (LASr), conduit (LAScd) and contractile (LASct) functions were performed in all participants by investigators blinded to clinical data.

Left atrial appendage strain predicts subclinical atrial fibrillation in embolic strokes of undetermined source.

Aims: Left atrial (LA) strain is promising in prediction of clinical atrial fibrillation (AF) in stroke patients. However, prediction of subclinical AF is critical in patients with embolic strokes of undetermined source (ESUS). The aim of this prospective study was to investigate novel LA and left atrial appendage (LAA) strain markers in prediction of subclinical AF in ESUS patients.

Feasibility of Patient-Managed ECG Recordings to Detect the Time of Atrial Fibrillation Recurrence after Electrical Cardioversion: Results from the PRE-ELECTRIC Study.

Background: Electrical cardioversion (ECV) is a common procedure to terminate persistent atrial fibrillation (AF). The recurrence rate is high, and the patients often fail to recognize AF recurrence.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to evaluate the feasibility of patient-managed electrocardiography (ECG) to detect the time to AF recurrence after ECV.

Prediction of incident atrial fibrillation with cardiac biomarkers and left atrial volumes.

Objective: Atrial fibrillation is a common arrhythmia associated with risk of stroke, heart failure and death. We aimed to elucidate the associations of cardiac biomarkers, echocardiographic left atrial volumetric indices and risk of prevalent and incident atrial fibrillation in the general population.

Methods: We assessed cardiac troponin T (cTnT), N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15), maximum (LAVi) and minimum (LAVi) indexed left atrial volumes and left atrial emptying fraction (LAEF) in subjects born in 1950 participating in the prospective observational cohort, Akershus Cardiac Examination 1950 Study.

Right Heart Structure and Function in Lifelong Recreational Endurance Athletes with and without Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation.

Background: Healthy young athletes adapt to the increased demands of endurance exercise with symmetric cardiac remodeling. Male veteran endurance athletes have an increased risk for atrial fibrillation (AF), and some athletes seem susceptible to changes mimicking arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy. Intense exercise puts a disproportionate hemodynamic load on the right-sided heart chambers.

Impact of Blood Pressure in the Early 40s on Left Atrial Volumes in the Mid-60s: Data From the ACE 1950 Study.

Background Echocardiographic measures of left atrial volumes are powerful predictors of cardiovascular events and important for assessing diastolic dysfunction. Despite this, there is limited knowledge of factors influencing left atrial remodeling. In particular, the impact of blood pressure in those in their early 40s on left atrial volumes later in life has not been sufficiently elucidated.

Left atrial function in male veteran endurance athletes with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.

Aims: To assess left atrial (LA) function in sinus rhythm in veteran athletes with a history of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) exposed to prolonged endurance exercise compared with veteran athletes without AF and controls with and without paroxysmal AF from a non-athletic population.

Methods And Results: Three hundred and two male participants from four groups, veteran recreational skiers with paroxysmal AF (n = 62), veteran skiers without AF (n = 89), and controls from a non-athletic population with (n = 62) and without paroxysmal AF (n = 89) underwent an echocardiographic examination in sinus rhythm to evaluate LA anatomy and function. The skiers (mean age 70.

Sex differences and higher upper normal limits for left atrial end-systolic volume in individuals in their mid-60s: data from the ACE 1950 Study.

Aims: The current study aimed to describe normal values of left atrial (LA) volumes and LA emptying fraction (LAEF) in a large sample in their mid-60s from the general population and to explore sex differences.

Methods And Results: In the Akershus Cardiac Examination (ACE) 1950 Study, body surface area-indexed LA maximum (LAVimax) and minimum (LAVimin) volumes and LAEF were measured in 3489 individuals aged 63.9 ± 0.