Left Atrial Mechanics and Functional Capacity in HFpEF pts with Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation

Introduction: Patients (pts) with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation are at risk for developing heart failure with preserved ejection fraction(HFpEF) and often have an impaired exercise capacity. Since left atrial (LA) pressure plays a major role in the exercise intolerance, we aimed to characterize the contribution of resting LA mechanical properties, assessed by two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography upon exercise capacity.