Sharma S, Lardizabal J, Monterroso M, Bhambi N, Sharma R, Sandhu R, Singh S. Clinically unrecognized mitral regurgitation is prevalent in lone atrial fibrillation. World J Cardiol 2012; 4(5): 183-187 [PMID: 22655166 DOI: 10.4330/wjc.v4.i5.183]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Sanjiv Sharma, MD, FACC, FSCAI, Chairman, Department of Medicine, Director, Research and Education, Division of Cardiology, Bakersfield Heart Hospital, 2901 Sillect Ave, Ste 100, Bakersfield, CA 93308, United States. sanjiv1122@yahoo.com
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Brief Article
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World J Cardiol. May 26, 2012; 4(5): 183-187 Published online May 26, 2012. doi: 10.4330/wjc.v4.i5.183
Clinically unrecognized mitral regurgitation is prevalent in lone atrial fibrillation
Sanjiv Sharma, Joel Lardizabal, Mark Monterroso, Neil Bhambi, Rohan Sharma, Rasham Sandhu, Sarabjeet Singh
Sanjiv Sharma, Joel Lardizabal, Mark Monterroso, Neil Bhambi, Rohan Sharma, Rasham Sandhu, Sarabjeet Singh, Division of Cardiology, Bakersfield Heart Hospital, Bakersfield, CA 93308, United States
Author contributions: Sharma S designed and executed the study, performed the transesophageal echocardiograms, oversaw the collection and analysis of data, literature search, statistical analysis and wrote the manuscript; Lardizabal J collected and analyzed the data and co-authored the manuscript; Monterroso M collected and analyzed the data; Bhambi N collected and analyzed the data; Sharma R collected and analyzed the data; Sandhu R independently analyzed the transesophageal echocardiograms and analyzed the data; Singh S independently analyzed the transesophageal echocardiograms and analyzed the data.
Correspondence to: Sanjiv Sharma, MD, FACC, FSCAI, Chairman, Department of Medicine, Director, Research and Education, Division of Cardiology, Bakersfield Heart Hospital, 2901 Sillect Ave, Ste 100, Bakersfield, CA 93308, United States. sanjiv1122@yahoo.com
Telephone: +1-661-3238384 Fax: +1-661-3239326
Received: February 21, 2012 Revised: May 15, 2012 Accepted: May 22, 2012 Published online: May 26, 2012
Abstract
AIM: To investigate the prevalence of clinically unrecognized mitral regurgitation (MR) in lone atrial fibrillation (AF).
METHODS: We studied the prevalence and severity of MR by transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) in patients with “lone” AF as compared to a matched cohort of patients in normal sinus rhythm (NSR) undergoing TEE for other indications besides recognized valvular heart disease.
RESULTS: A total of 157 subjects (57 in the AF group and 100 in the NSR group) with structurally normal cardiac valves were included in the study. In the AF group, moderate MR or more was noted in 66% of the patients, mild MR in 18%, trace or no MR in 16%. In the control group, moderate MR was noted in 6% of patients, mild MR 31%, trace or no MR in 63 % of patients. Moderate MR or greater was significantly more prevalent in the AF group compared to the NSR group (66% vs 6%, P < 0.0001).
CONCLUSION: Clinically unrecognized moderate MR is prevalent in “lone” AF -either as an etiologic factor leading to “lone” AF or developing after onset of AF.
