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BACKGROUND: Clinical significance of left atrial (LA) function and geometry in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) remains uncertain. HYPOTHESIS: LA geometric parameters assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) predict the prognosis in patients with DCM. METHODS: The present study included patients with DCM and sinus rhythm who underwent CMR between December 2007 and April 2018. LA volume was measured using CMR. LA sphericity index was computed as the ratio of the measured maximum LA volume by the volume of a sphere with maximum LA length diameter. RESULTS: We included 255 patients in this study. During the mean follow-up of 3.92 years, hospitalization for HF occurred in 37 patients. The LA sphericity index was significantly higher in patients with hospitalization for HF than in those without (0.78 ± 0.35 vs. 0.58 ± 0.18, p < .001). Multivariable Cox regression analysis identified a higher LA sphericity index as an independent predictor of hospitalization for HF. Patients were categorized based on the median of LA sphericity index. The Kaplan-Meier curve showed that patients with a high LA sphericity index (≥0.57) had a significantly higher risk of hospitalization for HF than those with a low LA sphericity index (<0.57). CONCLUSION: LA sphericity index was an independent predictor of hospitalization for HF. Assessment of LA geometric parameters might be useful for risk stratification in patients with DCM.
Yazaki et al. (Wed,) studied this question.