Association between left atrial function and outcome in systemic sclerosis

Abstract Purpose: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a multisystemic autoimmune disorder in which cardiac involvement is frequent and portends negative prognosis. Left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction is one of the most common cardiac alterations in these patients and left atrial (LA) reservoir strain (ƐR) measurement using speckle tracking echocardiography has been proposed as a novel parameter for a better assessment of LV diastolic function. Therefore, the aim of this study was to test the prognostic value of ƐR in a large multicenter cohort of SSc patients. Methods and results: In total, 311 SSc patients (54 ± 14 years, 85% female) were included from two different centers. Echocardiography was performed at the time of first visit, including ƐR measurement. Over a median follow-up of 132 (interquartile range: 110 to 157) months, 67 (21.5%) patients experienced the outcome of all-cause mortality. Spline curve analysis identified an optimal cut-off value of 30% for ƐR, and patients with ƐR ≤30% showed a 10-year cumulative survival rate of 71% as compared to 88% for patients with ƐR >30% (log-rank p < 0.001). At the multivariable Cox regression analysis, ƐR was independently associated with the endpoint (HR 1.830; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.031–3.246; p = 0.039) together with age (HR 1.071, 95% CI 1.043 to 1.099; p < 0.001), sex (female) (HR 0.444, 95% CI 0.229 to 0.861; p = 0.016), and diffusing lung capacity for carbon monoxide (HR 0.969 95% CI 0.956 to 0.982; p < 0.001). Conclusion: ƐR is of independent prognostic value in SSc and might help optimizing risk stratification in these patients.