Abstract 649: Increased Left Ventricular Filling Pressure is Associated with Left Atrial Thrombus in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation.

Abstract

Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) are frequently associated with reduced left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction. It is still unclear whether reduced diastolic function is associated with the risk of left atrial (LA) thrombus in AF. The ratio of transmitral E velocity to mitral annular velocity (e′) is an echocardiographic estimate of diastolic LV filling pressure even under AF rhythm. We investigated whether reduced LV diastolic function is associated with the risk of LA thrombus in AF patients, using E/e′ ratio as an index. We enrolled consecutive 405 patients with non-valvular, paroxysmal or chronic AF, who underwent both transthoracic- (TTE) and transesophagial echocardiography (TEE) examination within a month. We measured LA and LV dimensions, LV ejection fraction (%EF), wall thickness, E and e′ velocities on TTE, and determined E/e′ ratio. LA appendage thrombus was found in 33 patients (8.1%). Patients with LA thrombus showed lower e′ velocity (5.3±1.8 vs. 7.0±2.2 cm/s, p<.0001) and higher E/e′ ratio (17.2±9.2 vs. 11.5±5.9, p<.0001) than those without it. Using 12.4 as an optimal cutoff point, E/e′ predicted LA thrombus with 70% sensitivity and 70% specificity (AUC=0.72). Odds ratio for LA thrombus in patients in the highest quartile of E/e′ was 6.38 (3.06–13.9). Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that the highest quartiles of E/e′ ratio was an independent predictor of LA thrombus among echocardiographic parameters, along with LA dimension and %EF, whereas e′ was not. LA appendage flow velocity was significantly correlated with E/e′ ratio (p<.0001), implying that increased diastolic filling pressure could be associated with impaired blood flow within LA. Increased LV filling pressure increased the risk of LA thrombus in patients with AF, partially through impaired LA hemodynamics. E/e′ ratio on TTE could be useful for detecting high-risk patients for LA thrombus.