BACKGROUND: Left atrium (LA) dilation and P-wave duration are linked to the amount of endurance training and are risk factors for atrial fibrillation (AF). The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of LA anatomical and electrical remodeling on its conduit and pump function measured by two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (STE). METHOD: Amateur male runners >30 years were recruited. Study participants (n=95) were stratified in 3 groups according to lifetime training hours: low (<1500 h, n=33), intermediate (1500 to 4500 h, n=32) and high training group (>4500 h, n=30). RESULTS: No differences were found, between the groups, in terms of age, blood pressure, and diastolic function. LA maximal volume (30±5, 33±5 vs. 37±6 ml/m(2), p<0.001), and conduit volume index (9±3, 11±3 vs. 12±3 ml/m(2), p<0.001) increased significantly from the low to the high training group, unlike the STE parameters: pump strain -15.0±2.8, -14.7±2.7 vs. -14.9±2.6%, p=0.927; conduit strain 23.3±3.9, 22.1±5.3 vs. 23.7±5.7%, p=0.455. Independent predictors of LA strain conduit function were age, maximal early diastolic velocity of the mitral annulus, heart rate and peak early diastolic filling velocity. The signal-averaged P-wave (135±11, 139±10 vs. 148±14 ms, p<0.001) increased from the low to the high training group. Four episodes of non-sustained AF were recorded in one runner of the high training group. CONCLUSION: The LA anatomical and electrical remodeling does not have a negative impact on atrial mechanical function. Hence, a possible link between these risk factors for AF and its actual, rare occurrence in this athlete population, could not be uncovered in the present study.
BACKGROUND: Left atrium (LA) dilation and P-wave duration are linked to the amount of endurance training and are risk factors for atrial fibrillation (AF). The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of LA anatomical and electrical remodeling on its conduit and pump function measured by two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (STE). METHOD: Amateur male runners >30 years were recruited. Study participants (n=95) were stratified in 3 groups according to lifetime training hours: low (<1500 h, n=33), intermediate (1500 to 4500 h, n=32) and high training group (>4500 h, n=30). RESULTS: No differences were found, between the groups, in terms of age, blood pressure, and diastolic function. LA maximal volume (30±5, 33±5 vs. 37±6 ml/m(2), p<0.001), and conduit volume index (9±3, 11±3 vs. 12±3 ml/m(2), p<0.001) increased significantly from the low to the high training group, unlike the STE parameters: pump strain -15.0±2.8, -14.7±2.7 vs. -14.9±2.6%, p=0.927; conduit strain 23.3±3.9, 22.1±5.3 vs. 23.7±5.7%, p=0.455. Independent predictors of LA strain conduit function were age, maximal early diastolic velocity of the mitral annulus, heart rate and peak early diastolic filling velocity. The signal-averaged P-wave (135±11, 139±10 vs. 148±14 ms, p<0.001) increased from the low to the high training group. Four episodes of non-sustained AF were recorded in one runner of the high training group. CONCLUSION: The LA anatomical and electrical remodeling does not have a negative impact on atrial mechanical function. Hence, a possible link between these risk factors for AF and its actual, rare occurrence in this athlete population, could not be uncovered in the present study.
Authors: Bulent Gorenek; Antonio Pelliccia; Emelia J Benjamin; Giuseppe Boriani; Harry J Crijns; Richard I Fogel; Isabelle C Van Gelder; Martin Halle; Gulmira Kudaiberdieva; Deirdre A Lane; Torben Bjerregaard Larsen; Gregory Y H Lip; Maja-Lisa Løchen; Francisco Marin; Josef Niebauer; Prashanthan Sanders; Lale Tokgozoglu; Marc A Vos; David R Van Wagoner; Laurent Fauchier; Irina Savelieva; Andreas Goette; Stefan Agewall; Chern-En Chiang; Márcio Figueiredo; Martin Stiles; Timm Dickfeld; Kristen Patton; Massimo Piepoli; Ugo Corra; Pedro Manuel Marques-Vidal; Pompilio Faggiano; Jean-Paul Schmid; Ana Abreu Journal: Eur J Prev Cardiol Date: 2016-11-04 Impact factor: 7.804
Authors: Bulent Gorenek; Antonio Pelliccia; Emelia J Benjamin; Giuseppe Boriani; Harry J Crijns; Richard I Fogel; Isabelle C Van Gelder; Martin Halle; Gulmira Kudaiberdieva; Deirdre A Lane; Torben Bjerregaard Larsen; Gregory Y H Lip; Maja-Lisa Løchen; Francisco Marín; Josef Niebauer; Prashanthan Sanders; Lale Tokgozoglu; Marc A Vos; David R Van Wagoner; Laurent Fauchier; Irina Savelieva; Andreas Goette; Stefan Agewall; Chern-En Chiang; Márcio Figueiredo; Martin Stiles; Timm Dickfeld; Kristen Patton; Massimo Piepoli; Ugo Corra; Pedro Manuel Marques-Vidal; Pompilio Faggiano; Jean-Paul Schmid; Ana Abreu Journal: Europace Date: 2017-02-01 Impact factor: 5.214
Authors: Mildred A Opondo; Norman Aiad; Matthew A Cain; Satyam Sarma; Erin Howden; Douglas A Stoller; Jason Ng; Pieter van Rijckevorsel; Michinari Hieda; Takashi Tarumi; M Dean Palmer; Benjamin D Levine Journal: Circ Arrhythm Electrophysiol Date: 2018-05
Authors: Lukas D Trachsel; Christoph P Ryffel; Stefano De Marchi; Christian Seiler; Nicolas Brugger; Prisca Eser; Matthias Wilhelm Journal: PLoS One Date: 2018-02-20 Impact factor: 3.240