esearchers involving the DQBM Menze Lab analysed cardiac and clinical data from the UK Biobank and University Hospital Zurich. A higher left atrial to ventricular volume ratio was associated with increased stroke risk, poorer cognitive performance and cortical atrophy.
Among patients with ischemic stroke, the ratio identified atrial fibrillation as the underlying cause more accurately than the commonly used left atrial volume index. Because both measurements are routinely collected through cardiac imaging, the marker could support stroke investigations and guide extended heart-rhythm monitoring. Prospective studies are needed before clinical implementation.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1161/STROKEAHA.126.055551