Independent relationship of left atrial size and mortality in patients with heart failure: an individual patient meta-analysis of longitudinal data (MeRGE Heart Failure).

Abstract

AIMS: Left atrial (LA) size is considered a marker of poor prognosis in heart failure (HF) patients. Prior studies have recruited relatively few subjects limiting their power to adequately analyse the interaction between LA size, left ventricular (LV) systolic and diastolic function, and prognosis. METHOD AND RESULTS: The MeRGE collaboration combines prospective data from 18 studies in HF patients. In this analysis of data from 1157 patients, the primary endpoint was death or hospitalization for worsening HF. In multivariate analysis (Cox proportion hazard model), LA area was associated with prognosis (HR 1.03 per cm(2), 95% CI 1.02, 1.05; P < 0.0001) independently of age, NYHA class, LV eje..