Stroke risk evaluation for patients with atrial fibrillation: Insights from left atrial appendage

Runxin Fang; Yang Li; Jun Wang; Zidun Wang; John Allen; Chi Keong Ching; Liang Zhong; Zhiyong Li

doi:10.3389/fcvm.2022.968630

Stroke risk evaluation for patients with atrial fibrillation: Insights from left atrial appendage

Front Cardiovasc Med. 2022 Aug 22:9:968630. doi: 10.3389/fcvm.2022.968630. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Runxin Fang¹, Yang Li², Jun Wang³, Zidun Wang³, John Allen⁴, Chi Keong Ching^{4

5}, Liang Zhong^{4

5}, Zhiyong Li^{1

6}

Affiliations

¹ School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, China.
² Zhongda Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Southeast University, Nanjing, China.
³ First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
⁴ Duke-NUS Medical School, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
⁵ National Heart Centre Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
⁶ School of Mechanical, Medical and Process Engineering, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, QLD, Australia.

Abstract

Left atrial appendage (LAA) is believed to be a common site of thrombus formation in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). However, the commonly-applied stroke risk stratification model (such as. CHA₂DS₂-VASc score) does not include any structural or hemodynamic features of LAA. Recent studies have suggested that it is important to incorporate LAA geometrical and hemodynamic features to evaluate the risk of thrombus formation in LAA, which may better delineate the AF patients for anticoagulant administration and prevent strokes. This review focuses on the LAA-related factors that may be associated with thrombus formation and cardioembolic events.

Keywords: association; atrial fibrillation; left atrial appendage; risk evaluation; stroke.

Publication types

Review