Left Atrial Dilatation and Reduced Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction Are Associated With Cardioembolic Stroke

Objective: Left atrial (LA) dilatation and heart failure are independent risk factors for ischemic stroke. The goal of this study is to evaluate the association between LA dilatation and reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (EF) with cardioembolic stroke. Methods: Four hundred fifty-three patients with ischemic stroke admitted to the University of California, Irvine between 2016 and 2017 were included based on the following criteria: age >18 and availability of echocardiogram. Stroke was categorized into cardioembolic and non-cardioembolic. EF was categorized into normal: 52–72% (male), 54–74% (female), mildly abnormal: 41–51% (male), 41–53% (female), moderately abnormal: 30–40%, and severely abnormal: