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COPYRIGHT 2004 International Medical News Group
SAN DIEGO -- Echocardiographically determined left atrial volume is to diastolic function as glycosylated hemoglobin is to diabetes, James B. Seward, M.D., asserted at the annual meeting of the American Society of Echocardiography.
Left atrial volume adjusted for body surface area is an easily obtainable measurement that provides valuable prognostic information regarding future risk of adverse outcomes including stroke, development of heart failure, and first episodes of atrial fibrillation (AF). The measurement provides a more accurate picture of left atrial size than does the commonly employed M-mode left atrial dimension.
Left atrial volume (LAV) reflects the severity and duration of elevated left atrial pressure. It's an indicator of what's happened to the left ventricle over time, unlike the standard Doppler assessment of diastolic function, which provides a mere snapshot in time--and one that can change beat to...
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