Left Atrial Strain Assessment in Ischemic Stroke Patients

Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown468 enrolled

Overview

This study is investigating a potential link between a novel measurement made on cardiac ultrasound and the risk of ischemic stroke in patients with a normal heart rhythm. The novel measurement is called left atrial strain. It uses speckle tracking echocardiography to measure the muscle function of the left atrium, one of the cardiac chambers. Investigators investigated whether patients with lower function of this chamber are at a higher risk of developing stroke from blood clots traveling to the brain. It is already known that patients with an irregular heart rhythm known as atrial fibrillation are at higher risk of these types of strokes. Investigators wanted to determine if there is a similar association in patients with normal heart rhythm but low left atrial strain.

Study Type

OBSERVATIONAL

Enrollment

468

Conditions

Ischemic Stroke Left Atrial Strain Sinus Rhythm

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Emergency department presentation with FAST positive symptoms * Neuroimaging performed as part of stroke workup * Echocardiogram performed during index admission Exclusion Criteria: * Any history of atrial fibrillation prior or during admission * Age below 18 years of age * No echocardiogram or echocardiogram images not of sufficient quality to perform left atrial strain analysis * At least moderate mitral regurgitation * ASD or PFO

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Correlation between left atrial strain and acute ischaemic stroke

This correlation will be adjusted for common stroke risk factors such as age, gender, hypertension, smoking, dyslipidaemia, and diabetes.

Time frame: 2 weeks