Felipe Bisbal, Adrian Baranchuk, Eugene Braunwald, Antoni Bayés de Luna, Antoni Bayés-Genís
Atrial dysfunction has been widely considered a marker or consequence of other cardiac conditions rather than the cause itself. Here, we propose the term atrial failure as a clinically relevant entity, defined as any atrial dysfunction causing impaired heart performance, symptoms, and worsening quality of life or life expectancy. Aspects of the etiology, mechanisms, and consequences of atrial failure are discussed. Recent advances in cardiac electrophysiology and imaging have improved our understanding of the highly complex atrial anatomy and function, underlying the paramount importance of the atria in optimal heart performance...
January 21, 2020: Journal of the American College of Cardiology