Prevention of sudden cardiac death in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: Risk assessment using left atrial diameter predicted from left atrial volume

BACKGROUND: Left atrial diameter (LAd) is included in the European Society for Cardiology's (ESC) risk model for assessment of sudden cardiac death (SCD) risk in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), but the recommended measure of LA size is left atrial volume (LAv). HYPOTHESIS: We hypothesized that LAv could be used instead of LAd in the HCM risk‐SCD model. We aimed to determine the relation between LAd and LAv and to assess the impact of using LAv instead of LAd. METHODS: Echocardiographic measurements of anteroposterior LAd in the parasternal long‐axis window and LAv from Simpson's biplane method of disks were used. The 5‐year risk of SCD by measured LAd and by LAd predicted from LAv were estimated using the ESC risk‐SCD model. RESULTS: In 205 HCM patients (age 56 ± 14 years, 62% male), the relation between LAd and LAv was linear. Median 5‐year risk of SCD was 2.4% (interquartile range [IQR]: 1.6; 3.8) using measured LAd and 2.4% (IQR: 1.6; 3.7) using predicted LAd. The correlation between the SCD risk assessed by measured vs predicted LAd was excellent (r (2) = 0.96). Use of predicted LAd resulted in four patients (2%) being recategorized between the moderate and high‐risk categories. CONCLUSIONS: The relation between LAd and LAv was linear with good agreement. On a population level, the correlation between the risk of SCD using measured LAd or LAd predicted from LAv was excellent. On a patient level, using LAd predicted from LAv resulted in the vast majority remaining in the same risk category; however, for a minority of patients, it changed the recommendation.