The prevalence of left atrial enlargement in Polish patients with atrial fibrillation - a single center study

Background. Atrial fibrillation (AF) remains one of the major causes of cardiovascular morbidity worldwide. Left atrial enlargement (LAE) is a common risk factor of AF. Left atrial enlargement is also connected with a higher prevalence of heart failure in AF patients. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of LAE in Polish patients with AF. Material and methods. Transthoracic echocardiography was performed in consecutive AF patients hospitalized in the Department of Heart Diseases. We assessed LAE using a two-dimensional method. Left atrial (LA) size was classified into the 4 categories: normal (LAE values < 39 mm in women and < 41 mm in men), mildly enlarged (39-42 mm in women and 41-46 mm in men), moderately enlarged (43-46 mm in women and 47-51 mm in men), and severely enlarged (>= 47 mm in women and >= 52 mm in men). Results. We analyzed 113 individuals with AF (mean age 77.2 +/- 9.8 years; 37.2% men). Of these, 71 (62.8%) patients had LAE (age 77.6 +/- 9.9 years; 36.6% men). LA was mildly enlarged (39-42 mm in women and 41-46 mm in men) in 20 (28.2%) patients, moderately enlarged (43-46 mm in women and 47-51 mm in men) was observed in 30 (42.3%), and severely enlarged (>= 47 mm in women and >= 52 mm in men) in 21 (29.6%) patients. The incidence of heart failure was significantly higher in AF patients with LAE [39 (54.9%) compared to the patients without LAE - 12 (28.6%) p = 0.01]. Conclusions. In patients with AF, LAE was highly prevalent. Patients with AF and LAE have more often HF compared to AF patients without LAE.