CC Cardiol Croat Cardiologia Croatica Cardiol. Croat. 1848-543X 1848-5448 Croatian Cardiac Society CC 10_9-10_228 10.15836/ccar.2015.228 Abstract Correlation between thromboembolic score and anteroposterior diameter of left atrium and left ventricle ejection fraction in patients with atrial fibrillation http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6362-3713LazicSnezana1http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2819-9018MarkovicSanja2http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4173-1224SipicMaja1http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1186-140XLazicBratislav1 Faculty of Medical Science University of Priština, Kosovska Mitrovica, Kosovo Clinical Hospital Center Pristina, Kosovo Address for correspondence: Snezana Lazic, Faculty of Medical Science University of Priština, Anri Dinan bb, Kosovska Mitrovica 38220, Kosovo. / Phone: +381-666060569 / E-mail: snezana_lazic@yahoo.com 102015 10 9-10 228 228 2707201517092015 2015 Croatian Cardiac Society KEYWORDS: atrial fibrillationtromboembolic risktransthoracic echocardiography

Objectives: It is considered that atrial fibrillation (AF) is present among 0.4% of adult population. CHA2DS2-VASc score is used for stratification of thromboembolic risk. Systolic heart failure has significant thrombogenic potential in atrial fibrillation. (1) Data from the literature on causal relationship between enlarged left atrium and thromboembolic risk in patients with AF are controversial.

Patients and Methods: The study analyzed 90 patients with atrial fibrillation. Exclusion criterion was AF in sepsis, acute myocarditis and pericarditis, in acute myocardial infarction, and postoperative AF. Methods used were standard 12-lead ECG, transthoracic echocardiogram and laboratory tests. The first group included 12 (13.3%) patients with valvular AF, while the second group included 78 (86.7%) patients with non-valvular AF.

Results: Anteroposterior diameter of the left atrium was 55.6±11.5 mm vs. 46.3±6.2 mm in the second group; p<0.001. Ejection fraction (EF, %) was 37.1±10.1% in the first group vs. 43.0±11.6% in the second group; p=0.102. CHA2DS2-VASc score was 4.0 (1.0-6.0) in the first group vs. 3.0 (0.0-7.0) in the second group; p=0.132. The correlation between CHA2DS2-VASc score and anteroposterior diameter of the left atrium among all patients (n=90) was not statistically significant (r=1.0; p=0.346). Significant negative correlation was found between CHA2DS2-VASc score and EF among all patients (r=-0.420; p<0.001).

Conclusions: In our study, the anteroposterior diameter of left atrium was not a determining factor of thromboembolic risk. However, with increase of CHA2DS2-VASc score, there was a reduction of EF which favors AF and increase in thromboembolic risk.

LITERATURE ColonnaP. Echocardiography for embolic risk stratification in atrial fibrillation: improvement of CHA2DS2-VASc in the era of new oral anticoagulants. Rev Argent Cardiol. 2013;81:102–6. 10.7775/rac.es.v81.i2.2522