Association between Left Atrial Function and Survival in Systemic Sclerosis

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 (Ɛ_R) 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 Ɛ_R in a large multicenter cohort of SSc patients. 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 Ɛ_R 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 Ɛ_R, and patients with Ɛ_R ≤ 30% showed a 10-year cumulative survival rate of 71% as compared to 88% for patients with Ɛ_R > 30% (log-rank <i>p</i> < 0.001). At the multivariable Cox regression analysis, Ɛ_R was independently associated with the endpoint (HR 1.830; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.031-3.246; <i>p</i> = 0.039) together with age (HR 1.071, 95% CI 1.043 to 1.099; <i>p</i> < 0.001), sex (female) (HR 0.444, 95% CI 0.229 to 0.861; <i>p</i> = 0.016), and diffusing lung capacity for carbon monoxide (HR 0.969 95% CI 0.956 to 0.982; <i>p</i> < 0.001). Ɛ_R is of independent prognostic value in SSc and might help optimizing risk stratification in these patients.