Characteristics of left atrial strain in patients with atrial fibrillatio after cardioversion

The aim of the study– to evaluate the parameters of left atrial myocardial strain in patients with atrial fibrillation who underwent electrical and drug cardioversion.Materials and methods.The study included 118 patients of the University Clinical Hospital No 1 of the First Sechenov Moscow State Medical University. The analysis was carried out in three groups of patients: group 1 (n=54) – patients with atrial fibrillation who underwent electrical cardioversion; group 2 (n=31) – patients with atrial fibrillation who underwent drug cardioversion; group 3 (n=43) – patients without a history of atrial fibrillation. The clinical and anamnestic data of the medical history of each patient, as well as ultrasound indicators were evaluated: global strain of the left atrial, the values of negative peaks as a reflection of the left atrial systole and the values of positive peaks as a reflection of the filling of the left atrium, LASI – the left atrial stiffness index.Results.The analysis showed that left atrial strain in patients with atrial fibrillation were reduced in all analyzed parameters: negative strain peaks (-9.00 vs. -12.6 in the control group, pConclusions.The indicators of left atrial strain were significantly reduced, and the left atrial stiffness index was significantly increased both in the group with electrical cardioversion and in the group with drug-induced cardioversion, compared with patients with similar cardiovascular pathologies, but without a history of atrial fibrillation episodes.