LEFT ATRIAL STIFFNESS: A NEW NONINVASIVE INDEX THAT MAY SERVE AS A SURROGATE MARKER OF LEFT VENTRICULAR DIASTOLIC DYSFUNCTION IN CHILDREN

Background: Guidelines for evaluating left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction in adults, often do not apply in children. We hypothesize left atrial (LA) stiffness may serve as a noninvasive surrogate of LV diastolic dysfunction in children with cardiomyopathy (CMP). Methods: We studied 41 CMP