Abstract 10708: Impact of Age on Diastolic Function and Left Atrial Volume and Function in Normal Subjects Assessed by Two-Dimensional Speckle Tracking Echocardiography

Background: Left atrial (LA) volume (V) and function (F) is a strong predictor of cardiovascular outcomes. Using speckle tracking echocardiography (STE), attention has focused on LAV and LAF, which are affected by both age and left ventricular (LV) diastolic function (LV stiffness).However, normal reference values of LAV and LAF at each age and the impact of age on LAV and LAF have not been established. We assessed LV structure, LAV and LAF per decade in normal subjects using STE and conventional echocardiography. Methods: We used 2-dimensional STE to examine phasic LA emptying function (EF), LAV index (LAVI), peak strain and strain rate in 136 normal subjects without cardiovascular disease. We reported previously that the pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (ePCWP) is accurately estimated by the kinetics-tracking (KT) index which includes both LAEF and LAV. ePCWP was calculated as 10.7 - 12.4 x log KT index, where KT index = active LAEF / minimum LAVI. Moreover, we measured LV mass index (LVMI), ejection ...