Left atrial size and total atrial emptying fraction in atrial fibrillation progression

Abstract Background Left atrial (LA) size and low voltage areas (LVA) mirror atrial fibrillation (AF) progression. Whether these factors are important for the impairment of total atrial emptying fraction is understudied. Objective The aim of the current analysis was to investigate the association between LA volume and total atrial emptying fraction with AF progression phenotypes: persistent AF and LVA. Methods Patients undergoing first AF ablation were included in the analyses. LVA were determined using high-density maps and defined as Results The study population included 211 patients (65±11 years, 59% males, 58% persistent AF, 26% LVA). There were 4 disease progression groups: paroxysmal AF (PAF) without LVA, PAF with LVA, persistent AF (PersAF) without LVA, and PersAF with LVA. While LA volume increased according to the AF progression phenotype (98±27, 145±34, 134±41, 141±39 ml, p Conclusions Low voltage areas and persistent AF are associated with a worse total atrial emptying fraction.