The presence of an atrial electromechanical delay in idiopathic atrial fibrillation as determined by tissue Doppler imaging

Abstract

Atrial fibrillation (AF) derives from a complex continuum of predisposing factors. However, the true ‘scene of calamity’ is the atrium. Increased left atrial (LA) size is associated with increased risk of AF onset and recurrence, other cardiovascular disease and mortality [1, 2]. Both atrial conduction slowing and atrial dilatation will favour AF as it results in increased total atrial conduction time, which is the time elapsed between the initiation of atrial depolarisation and the last depolarisation of the same activation front [3].