Echocardiographic Measurement of Left Atrial Strain ― A Key Requirement in Clinical Practice ―
Open Access
- 24 December 2021
- journal article
- review article
- Published by Japanese Circulation Society in Circulation Journal
- Vol. 86 (1), 6-13
- https://doi.org/10.1253/circj.cj-21-0373
Abstract
Unlike the left ventricle (LV), the left atrium (LA) has a thin-walled structure and has been regarded as a simple conduit chamber. However, the unique function of the LA to modulate LV filling has recently drawn much attention. Because LA structure and function are directly influenced by the LV filling pressure, LA assessment is an essential step in the diagnosis of diastolic dysfunction that can help predict new-onset atrial fibrillation, assess the risk of further embolic events, and identify high-risk patients for adverse cardiovascular events. Even in the recent era of multimodality imaging, 2-dimensional (2D) echocardiography is the most common imaging method and the central modality for evaluation of LA function. LA strain derived from 2D echocardiography can help assess LA function objectively and demonstrates the 3 distinct phasic motions of the LA cycle. Further, LA strain provides invaluable pathophysiologic information and helps to predict clinical prognosis in various cardiovascular diseases. In this review article, we focus on LA strain: basic concepts, advantages over conventional parameters, and some unresolved issues. Additionally, we present a brief history of the clinical evidence for LA strain. Through this review, we suggest echocardiography for LA strain assessment in clinical practice.Keywords
This publication has 61 references indexed in Scilit:
- Effect of preload on left atrial function: evaluated by tissue Doppler and strain imagingEuropean Heart Journal – Cardiovascular Imaging, 2012
- Left atrial function assessed by speckle tracking echocardiography as a predictor of new-onset non-valvular atrial fibrillation: results from a prospective study in 580 adultsEuropean Heart Journal – Cardiovascular Imaging, 2011
- Left Atrial Strain Predicts Reverse Remodeling After Catheter Ablation for Atrial FibrillationJournal of the American College of Cardiology, 2011
- Effects of Aging on Left Atrial Function Assessed by Two-Dimensional Speckle Tracking EchocardiographyJournal of the American Society of Echocardiography, 2009
- Anatomy of the Left Atrial AppendageEchocardiography, 2008
- Structural and Functional Remodeling of the Left Atrium: Clinical and Therapeutic Implications for Atrial FibrillationJournal of the American College of Cardiology, 2008
- Different effects of cardiac resynchronization therapy on left atrial function in patients with either idiopathic or ischaemic dilated cardiomyopathy: a two-dimensional speckle strain studyEuropean Heart Journal, 2007
- Value of the Measurements of Left Atrial Geometry in Patients With Normalized or Restrictive Mitral Flow Velocity PatternJournal of Echocardiography, 2005
- Left Atrial VolumeCirculation, 2003
- Relation between echocardiographically determined left atrial size and atrial fibrillation.Circulation, 1976