BACKGROUND: Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) have an increased risk of diastolic dysfunction and heart failure. The purpose of this study was to identify independent predictors of early (ie, only exercise-induced) heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and to describe the prevalence of early HFpEF among patients with paroxysmal AF. METHODS AND RESULTS: One hundred patients with paroxysmal AF and preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) underwent catheterization for left atrial pressure (LAP) measurements at rest and at the peak of arm exercise (LAP-exe). Based on resting and exercise LAP values, the patients were divided into 3 groups. Sixty-one patients had no evidence of HFpEF (LAP at rest ≤15 mm Hg, LAP-exe <25 mm Hg). Twenty-five subjects had early HFpEF (LAP at rest ≤15 mm Hg, LAP-exe ≥25 mm Hg, prevalence 25%). Fourteen patients already had HFpEF at rest (LAP at rest >15 mm Hg). Multivariate exact logistic regression analysis identified age ≥58 years, LAP at rest ≥11 mm Hg, and peak systolic mitral annular velocity ≤9.3 cm/s to be independent predictors of early HFpEF. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with paroxysmal AF and preserved LVEF, there appears to be a clinically significant prevalence of early HFpEF.

Department of Cardiovascular Diseases ICRC St Anne's Hospital Brno Czech Republic

Department of Cardiovascular Diseases ICRC St Anne's Hospital Brno Czech Republic; Department of Cardiovascular Diseases Faculty of Medicine Masaryk University Brno Czech Republic

Institute of Biostatistics and Analysis Faculty of Medicine Masaryk University Brno Czech Republic

J Card Fail. 2017 Jul;23(7):563-565. doi: 10.1016/j.cardfail.2017.05.006. PubMed

J Card Fail. 2017 Aug;23(8):656. doi: 10.1016/j.cardfail.2017.05.014. PubMed

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