Role of left atrial speckle tracking echocardiography in predicting persistent atrial fibrillation electrical cardioversion success and sinus rhythm maintenance at 6 months.
We assessed the value of left atrium speckle tracking imaging (STI) indices, and clinical and other echocardiographic parameters in persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) patients to predict the efficacy of electrical cardioversion (EC) and sinus rhythm (SR) maintenance at 6 months. Eighty persistent AF patients planned to receive EC, underwent echocardiography including STI. After 24h, patients with successful EC were examined to predict SR maintenance. After 6 months patients with no AF recurrence in electrocardiogram (ECG) underwent 7-day ECG to exclude silent AF. Every AF>1 min was a recurrence. SR restored in 61 patients, 19 unsuccessful. Prior use of statins (68.8% vs. 42.1%, p=0.03) was the only factor, determined later by univariate analysis to be a significant EC success predictor (OR=1.09, CL ± 95% 1.001-1.019, p<0.03). Both groups received similar antiarrhythmics and had similar echocardiographic parameters. After 6 months, SR was maintained in 19 patients (31.1%, Group I); AF recurrences were registered in 42 patients (68.8%, Group II). In Group I, only the mitral valve deceleration time (MVDT) 224.18 ± 88.13 vs. 181.6 ± 60.6 in Group II, p=0.04) and the dispersion of time to peak longitudinal strain (dTPLS) (86.0 ± 68.3 vs. 151.8 ± 89.6, p=0.03) differed significantly. The univariate analysis revealed dTPLS as a significant predictor of SR maintenance. High EC efficacy and frequent AF recurrences were observed. The dispersion of time to the maximal longitudinal strain (LS) of left atrial segments facilitated prediction of SR maintenance. The value of 7-day ECG monitoring for detection of arrhythmia after 6 months was limited.