Prognostic value of left atrial strain in aortic stenosis: A systematic review

Purpose: Aortic stenosis (AS) is a common valvular heart disease with high morbidity and mortality. Recently, the association between peak atrial longitudinal strain (PALS) and AS clinical outcomes has been identified. This systematic review evaluates the prognostic value of PALS for adverse events in AS.

Methods: We performed a systematic literature review to identify clinical studies that evaluated Speckle-Tracking Echocardiography (STE)-derived PALS to predict adverse outcomes in patients with AS. We excluded studies that compared echocardiography to computed tomography and studies that focused on diseases other than AS.

Results: We included 18 studies reporting on 2660 patients. Patients with symptomatic AS had decreased PALS when compared to patients with asymptomatic AS. Patients with AS who had adverse events had decreased PALS when compared to patients with AS with no events. Each unit increase of PALS was independently associated with decreased risk for the primary endpoint. PALS cut-off values were associated with increased risk for the primary endpoint.

Conclusion: This systematic review suggests PALS as an independent predictor for cardiovascular events in patients with AS and highlights the importance of evaluating LA mechanics for AS prognosis.