Left atrial reservoir strain as a predictor of cardiac outcome in patients with heart failure: the HaFaC cohort study

BACKGROUND: The left atrium (LA) is a key player in the pathophysiology of systolic and diastolic heart failure (HF). Speckle tracking derived LA reservoir strain (LAS(r)) can be used as a prognostic surrogate for elevated left ventricular filling pressure similar to NT-proBNP. The aim of the study is to investigate the correlation between LAS(r) and NT-proBNP and its prognostic value with regards to the composite endpoint of HF hospitalization and all-cause mortality within 1 year. METHODS: Outpatients, sent to the echocardiography core lab because of HF, were enrolled into this study. Patients underwent a transthoracic echocardiographic examination, commercially available software was used to measure LAS(r). Blood samples were collected directly after the echocardiographic examination to determine NT-proBNP. RESULTS: We included 174 HF patients, 43% with reduced, 36% with mildly reduced, and 21% with preserved ejection fraction. The study population showed a strong inverse correlation between LAS(r) and log-transformed NT-proBNP (r = − 0.75, p < 0.01). Compared to NT-proBNP, LAS(r) predicts the endpoint with a comparable specificity (83% vs. 84%), however with a lower sensitivity (70% vs. 61%). CONCLUSION: LAS(r) is inversely correlated with NT-proBNP and a good echocardiographic predictor for the composite endpoint of hospitalization and all-cause mortality in patients with HF. Trial registration: https://www.trialregister.nl/trial/7268