What is it about?
In this study, we explored the factors associated with left atrium enlargement among the general population dwelling in the community. The result shows left atrial enlargement is associated with overweight and lower hemoglobin.
Featured Image
Why is it important?
An estimated 2.7-6.1 million people in the US suffer from atrial fibrillation (AF). As US population ages, the number of patients with AF is expected to increase. More than 750 000 hospitalizations occur each year because of AF. AF costs the US about $6 billion each year. Although left atrial enlargement is a mechanical risk factor for AF, the factors associated left atrial enlargement is uncertain. In this study, we investigated general elderly population dwelling in the community to show that overweight is associated with left atrial enlargement. This finding is important in preventive medicine as it provides the evidence the association between body size and left atrial size and also it helps the hypothesis-generating that reducing weight in the elderly might prevent people from having AF.
Perspectives
This is the first attempt to utilize the data from the health check-up clinics. Although health check-up is very popular in Japan, where almost 65% of adults undergo annually, the data have not been fully explored in research purpose. Its utility and its potential in preventive medicine astonished researchers in the US when I presented the result at the Harvard Chan School. I hope this study would be a stepping stone of its kind and would enhance the knowledge in preventive medicine.
Dr Tetz Cheng-Che Lee
Columbia University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Factors influencing left atrial volume in a population with preserved ejection fraction: Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction or clinical factors?, Journal of Cardiology, October 2016, Elsevier,
DOI: 10.1016/j.jjcc.2016.02.003.
You can read the full text:
Contributors
The following have contributed to this page
