Background—Current guidelines do not recommend routine use of transesophageal echocardiography (TOE) in anticoagulated patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). The aim of our study was to identify predictors for left atrial thrombosis (LAT) in patients with AF that would require TOE despite anticoagulation therapy, using clinical, laboratory and echocardiographic data which are usually obtained in those patients in a real-world setting. Methods—We analyzed data from electronic medical records (EMR) of consecutive AF patients referred to two university hospitals between January 2014 and December 2017 for pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) or direct current cardioversion. The primary endpoint was the presence of left atrial thrombus on TOE. Multivariable and univariable logistic regression models were computed using variables that were significantly different between the LAT and the control groups. Results—A total of 838 patients were included, of whom 132 (15.8%) had LAT. After controlling for other variables, only the left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF) remained statistically significant with an OR of 0.956 (95% CI 0.934–0.979), p < 0.01. Regression models including LVEF had significantly higher areas under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, including in subgroups with non-high thromboembolic risk (CHA2DS2-Vasc = 0 or 1), with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.76 (95% CI 0.71–0.81), p < 0.0001. Conclusions—The LVEF is an independent predictor of LAT, and it might improve thromboembolic risk stratification in future models. LVEF significantly increased the predictive value of the CHA2DS2-Vasc model and was able to identify LAT in non-high-risk patients.

Background: As has been shown previously, patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) who have left atrial thrombus (LAT) also have elevated plasma concentrations of fibrinogen. In this study, we tried to determine if this is the consequence of a genetic trait and whether elevated concentrations of fibrinogen could be used to predict LAT in patients with AF. Methods: We recruited 181 consecutive patients scheduled for pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) or direct current cardioversion. The primary endpoint was the presence of LAT on transesophageal echocardiography (TOE). We recorded routine clinical and biochemical data as well as the polymorphism type of the fibrinogen gene for the β chain. To control potentially interfering variables, we performed propensity score matching (PSM). Multivariable and univariable logistic regression models (LRM) were computed using the CHA2DS2-Vasc score, the fibrinogen concentration and creatinine clearance as estimated by the Cockcroft–Gault equation. Results: 60 of 181 patients had LAT as detected by TOE. As expected, patients with LAT had significantly higher concentrations of fibrinogen (3.9 vs. 3.6 g/L); p = 0.01 in the unadjusted analysis. After performing PSM, there were no statistically significant differences between the groups, except for creatinine clearance (79.9 vs. 96.8 mL/min); p = 0.01. There were also no differences regarding the −455 G/A βfibrinogen polymorphism distribution between the two groups. After constructing the LRM, we found no performance enhancement for the CHA2DS2-Vasc score by adding the fibrinogen concentration or creatinine clearance alone, but when all three variables were put together, there was a significant improvement in LAT prediction (AUC 0.64 vs. 0.72), p = 0.026. Conclusion: Our study found no evidence of elevated levels of circulating fibrinogen in patients with LAT or a connection between those levels and the A/A and A positive polymorphism. When used together with renal function markers such as creatinine clearance, plasma fibrinogen concentrations can provide additional power to the CHA2DS2-Vasc score for predicting LAT.

Objectives: To investigate early alterations in left ventricular (LV) diastolic function in young patients with uncomplicated arterial hypertension and basal septal hypertrophy (BSH), preserved LV ejection fraction (LVEF), and no overt cardiovascular comorbidities. Methods: Patients were divided into two groups according to the presence or absence of BSH and compared. Conventional diastolic assessment according to current recommendations were performed, along with two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography for LV systolic and diastolic deformation and LA reservoir strain (LARS). Results: A total of 138 patients were included; 53.6% had BSH. For the whole population LV systolic and diastolic function were preserved, and overall LV geometry parameters and LA dimensions and function were within normal limits. However, patients with BSH were found to have more pronounced geometry changes in terms of concentric remodeling beyond BSH (LVMI 109.15 ± 25.33 vs. 89.19 ± 24.59 g/m², p < 0.001; RWT 0.38 ± 0.11 vs. 0.3 ± 0.08, p < 0.001), LA dilation (32.68 ± 9.98 vs. 30.03 ± 11.37, p = 0.05), and impaired LV relaxation according to standard parameters (E wave 0.72 ± 0.18 vs. 0.79 ± 0.2 m/s, p = 0.05; A wave 0.76 ± 0.14 vs. 0.72 ± 0.19 m/s, p = 0.04; E/A 0.96 ± 0.28 vs. 1.16 ± 0.39, p = 0.001; e′ septal 0.08 ± 0.02 vs. 0.1 ± 0.02 m/s, p = 0.001; and e′ lateral 0.12 ± 0.03 vs. 0.15 ± 0.04 m/s, p = 0.001) and diastolic strain rate (SR) (SRe 1.17 ± 0.35 vs. 1.31 ± 0.35%/s, p = 0.02; SRe/SRa 1.39 ± 0.63 vs. 1.69 ± 0.89, p = 0.03). Measurement of the diastolic SR was feasible in 97.1% of the patients with good reproducibility and interobserver difference of 1.28%. Significant correlations were found between basal septal thickness and parameters of LV and LA remodeling and diastolic function. Conclusions: Basal septal hypertrophy appears to represent an early, functionally relevant stage of hypertensive myocardial remodeling rather than an isolated morphological finding. Even in the presence of preserved LVEF, BSH is associated with subtle impairment of LV relaxation. Deformation imaging may improve identification of patients at risk for progression toward overt diastolic dysfunction and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.