Succinate links atrial dysfunction and cardioembolic stroke

Objective: To determine whether altered metabolic profiles represent a link between atrial dysfunction and cardioembolic (CE) stroke, and thus whether underlying dysfunctional atrial substrate may contribute to thromboembolism risk in CE stroke.
Methods: One hundred forty-four metabolites were measured using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry in plasma samples collected within 9 hours of stroke onset in 367 acute stroke patients. Stroke subtype was assigned using the causative classification of stroke, and CE stroke (n=181) was compared to non-CE stroke (n=186). Markers of left atrial dysfunction included abnormal atrial function (P-wave terminal force in lead V1, PTFV1 >4000 µV•ms), left atrial enlargement on echocardiography, and frank atrial fibrillation on electrocardiograms. Stroke recurrence risk was assessed using CHADS2 and CHA2DS2-VASc scores. Associations between metabolites and CE stroke, atrial dysfunction, and stroke recurrence risk were evaluated using logi...