Descending aortic mechanics and atrial fibrillation: a two-dimensional speckle tracking transesophageal echocardiography study

AbstractVascular mechanics assessed with two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (2D-STE) could be used as a new imaging surrogate of vascular stiffening. The CHA2DS2-VASc score is considered accurate as an estimate of stroke risk in non-valvular AF, although many potential stroke risk factors have not been included in this scoring method. The purpose of this research is to study the feasibility of evaluating vascular mechanics at the descending aorta in non-valvular AF patients using transesophageal 2D-STE and to analyze the association between descending aortic mechanics and stroke. We prospectively recruited a group of 44 patients referred for a transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) in the context of cardioversion for non-valvular AF. A short-axis view of the descending aorta, one to two centimeters after the aortic arch was selected for the vascular mechanics assessment with the 2D-STE methodology. The vascular mechanics parameters analyzed were circumferential aortic strain (CAS) and early circumferential aortic strain rate (CASR). A clinical assessment was performed with focus on the past stroke history and the CHA2DS2-VASc score. The mean age of our cohort was 65  ± 13 years and 75% were men; AF was known for 2.8 ± 2.5 years and it was considered paroxystic in 41% of cases. Waveforms adequate for measuring 2D-STE were present in 85% of the 264 descending aortic wall segments. The mean CAS was 3.5 ± 1.2% and the mean CASR was 0.7 ± 0.3  s...
Source: The International Journal of Cardiovascular Imaging - Category: Radiology Source Type: research