In patients referred for stress echocardiography, LA size provides independent and incremental value over standard risk factors including left ventricular systolic dysfunction and ischemia. Left atrial size is a powerful prognosticator and should be routinely used in the prognostic interpretation of stress echocardiography.

No abstract

As with quantitative measurements, thickening is the parameter most prone to error in the presence of arrhythmias. It is important to test data for gating errors to avoid potentially erroneous measurements and visual readings.