Authors

• Nejra Mlačo-Vražalić — General Hospital “Prim. Dr. Abdulah Nakaš”, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina — ORCID: 0000-0002-3299-6899
• Denis Mačkić — General Hospital “Prim. Dr. Abdulah Nakaš”, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina — ORCID: 0000-0001-6540-4944
• Jasmin Idrizović — General Hospital “Prim. Dr. Abdulah Nakaš”, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina — ORCID: 0009-0006-3598-3870
• Bilal Oglečevac — General Hospital “Prim. Dr. Abdulah Nakaš”, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina — ORCID: 0000-0003-3058-330X
• Ada Đozić — General Hospital “Prim. Dr. Abdulah Nakaš”, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina — ORCID: 0000-0002-2664-810X
• Buena Aziri — Sarajevo Medical School, Sarajevo School of Science and Technology, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina — ORCID: 0000-0003-3622-253X
• Amer Iglica — Clinical Center University of Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Zijo Begić — Clinical Center University of Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina — ORCID: 0000-0002-4677-8489
• Nirvana Šabanović-Bajramović — Clinical Center University of Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina — ORCID: 0000-0003-3749-6073
• Edin Begić — General Hospital “Prim. Dr. Abdulah Nakaš”, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina — ORCID: 0000-0001-6842-262X

Keywords

left atrium, atrial fibrillation, fibrosis, prediction

DOI

Full Text

**Introduction:** Left atrial (LA) remodeling is a complex anatomical and functional process in response to electrical, mechanical and metabolic disturbances. LA remodeling is usually a consequence of LA volume overload, left ventricular systolic dysfunction and physiological aging process. LA remodeling directly correlates with atrial fibrillation occurrence. (1-3) Aim: To analyze left atrial strain parameters for the purpose of prediction of atrial fibrillation (AF) after the electrical cardioversion. **Patients and Methods:** Analysis included 31 patients, who underwent electrical cardioversion due to AF at the Department of Cardiology, General Hospital “Prim. Dr. Abdulah Nakaš” in the period from May 2023 until May 2024. Transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiogram was performed in all patients, regardless of the previous anticoagulation therapy. **Results:** There was a statistically significant correlation between the recurrence of AF three months and six months after the electrical cardioversion and the following echocardiographic parameters: LA reservoir strain (p<0.001; p=0.001), LA conduit strain (p<0.001, p=0.001), LA contractile strain (p<0.001; p<0.001), E/e’ ratio (p<0.001, p=0.001), and left atrial stiffness index (p<0.001; p=0.004). Left atrial volume index did not significantly correlate with AF recurrence within three and six months after the cardioversion. **Conclusion:** Patient risk stratification for AF recurrence could be made based on LA strain parameters.

Literature

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