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Abstract: Background: Left atrial volume index (LAVI) is increasingly recognised as a relatively load-independent marker of left ventricular (LV) filling pressures. We assessed the capacity of LAVI to predict LV diastolic dysfunction in comparison with N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (NTproBNP) in patients with suspected heart failure and a normal ejection fraction (EF). Methods: 137 patients with suspected heart failure (HF), referred from the community for echocardiography, prospectively underwent Doppler echocardiography, LAVI and NTproBNP estimation. Raised LAVI and reduced LV systolic function were defined as >26 ml/m2 and LV EF <50% respectively. Results: Of 137 patients, 21 were excluded (2 with significant mitral valve disease and 19 with atrial fibrillation). Of the remaining 116 subjects, 92 showed normal LV systolic function. The univariate predictors of serum log NTproBNP were age (p <0.001), LA dimension (p =0.001), LAVI (p <0.001), A wave (p =0.001), E:A (p =0.07) and septal wall thickness (p =0.004). However on multivariate analysis, LAVI was found to be the most consistent and significant predictor of NTproBNP. The area under the curve of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for NTproBNP in detecting patients with LVEF ≥50% and LAVI >26ml/m2 was 0.81 (p <0.0001) and for patients with LAVI >26ml/m2 with and without LVEF ≥50% was 0.82 (p <0.0001). Conclusion: This data confirms that LAVI on resting echocardiography, specifically in patients with suspected HF and normal LV systolic function is a powerful independent predictor of LV diastolic dysfunction as predicted by serum NTproBNP. In a population with a high suspicion of diastolic heart failure, LAVI may significantly contribute to diagnostic precision. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The extent of residual myocardial viability (MV) after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is an important determinant of the outcome. Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) is widely used to assess MV after an AMI. However, myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE), a relatively new technique for the assessment of MV, has better spatial and temporal resolution than SPECT. The present study evaluated whether MV determined by MCE is comparable to that determined using SPECT for the prediction of hard cardiac events after an AMI. Accordingly, 99 patients who had undergone simultaneous rest low-power MCE and nitrate-enhanced SPECT 7 days after an AMI were followed up for cardiac death and AMIs. Both MCE perfusion (1 = normal; 2 = reduced; and 3 = absent) and SPECT tracer uptake (0 = normal; 1 = mildly reduced; 2 = moderately reduced; 3 = severely reduced; and 4 = absent) were scored on a 16-segment left ventricular model. The contrast perfusion index and SPECT perfusion index were calculated by adding the respective scores in the 16 segments and dividing by 16. The contrast perfusion index and SPECT perfusion index were used as a measure of the residual MV on MCE and SPECT, respectively. Of the 99 patients recruited, 95 were available for the follow-up examination (follow-up 46 ± 16 months). A total of 15 events (16%) occurred (8 cardiac deaths and 7 AMIs). Of the clinical, biochemical, echocardiographic, and SPECT markers of prognosis, the only independent predictors of cardiac death and cardiac death or AMI were age and MV as determined by MCE (p = 0.01 and p = 0.002, respectively). In conclusion, MV determined by MCE at rest was superior to nitrate-enhanced SPECT for the prediction of hard cardiac events after AMI. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]