Key result
ESUS is linked to ~217% higher odds of atrial fibrosis versus healthy controls, resembling AF.
Why the study?
To examine whether atrial fibrosis and associated atrial cardiopathy may be in the causal pathway of cardioembolic stroke independently of AF.
Does atrial fibrosis burden assessed by MRI correlate with embolic stroke of undetermined source (ESUS) independently of atrial fibrillation?
Case-Control (n=30)
Does atrial fibrosis burden assessed by MRI correlate with embolic stroke of undetermined source (ESUS) independently of atrial fibrillation?
Effect estimate: OR 3.17 (95% CI 1.05-9.52)
Absolute Event Rate: 16.8% vs 10.6%
p-value: p=0.019
Atrial fibrosis burden is significantly elevated in patients with ESUS, comparable to those with AF, suggesting atrial cardiopathy may cause cardioembolic stroke independently of AF.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Does not support changing ESUS evaluation yet; leaves open atrial fibrosis as a modifiable cardioembolic substrate.
Tandon et al. (2019) conducted a case-control in Embolic stroke of undetermined source (ESUS) (n=30). Late-gadolinium-enhancement MRI for atrial fibrosis vs. Healthy controls and patients with AF was evaluated on Atrial fibrosis burden (OR 3.17, 95% CI 1.05-9.52, p=0.019). Late-gadolinium-enhancement MRI revealed patients with ESUS had significantly more atrial fibrosis than healthy controls (16.8% vs 10.6%, p=0.019), similar to patients with atrial fibrillation.
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