The importance of left atrial function for prognosis after acute myocardial infarction

© RSNA, 2019The prognosis of patients with an acute myocardial infarction and the identification of risk factors for major adverse cardiac events have a direct impact on medical therapy and devices used for secondary prevention. Left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction has been accepted as the main predictor of outcome after myocardial infarction. However, other predictors, like the ones obtained with cardiac MRI, have been identified. These include the amount of necrosis as assessed with late gadolinium enhancement, the presence of microvascular obstruction, and the myocardial salvage index as derived from edema imaging, all of which are closely related to patient outcome.