Low blood flow velocity in the left atrial appendage in sinus rhythm as a predictor of atrial fibrillation: results of a prospective cohort study with 3 years of follow-up

BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common cause of cardioembolic stroke and can lead to severe and recurrent cerebrovascular events. Thus, identifying patients suffering from cardioembolic events caused by undetected AF is crucial. Previously, we found an association between increasing stroke severity and a decreasing left atrial appendage (LAA) blood flow velocity below 60 cm/s. METHODS: This was a prospective single-center cohort study including hospitalized patients who underwent a transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) in sinus rhythm. The participants were divided into two groups (≥ 60 cm/s;<60 cm/s) based on their maximum LAA blood flow velocity. The results of the cardiovascular risk assessment and 24- to 72-hour ECG Holter were recorded. Follow-up appointments were scheduled at 3, 6, 12, 24 and 36 months. The primary endpoint was new-onset AF. The statistics included a Cox-proportional-hazard-model and a binary logistic regression. Numerical data or categorical data were analyzed with the Mann-Whitney U test or chi-square test. RESULTS: A total of 166 patients were recruited. The median LAA blood flow velocity was 64 cm/s. New-onset AF was diagnosed in 22.9% of the patients. An LAA blood flow velocity ≤ 60 cm/s was associated with a threefold increased risk of new-onset AF (35.8% vs. 11.5%; HR3.56; CI95%1.70-7.46; p < 0.001), independently according to a multivariate analysis (p = 0.035). Furthermore, a decreasing LAA blood flow velocity was associated with an increased risk of new-onset AF (OR1.043; CI95%1.021-1.069; p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: A low LAA blood flow velocity (≤ 60 cm/s) in sinus rhythm is prospectively associated with an increased risk of new-onset AF. Additional simple LAA-TEE examinations could help to identify patients who benefit from more accurate cardiac rhythm monitoring.