Introduction A sustained increase of left atrial pressure typically precedes and hence is the earliest sign of impeding heart failure.1, 2 So much so that it is likely to be a useful diagnostic indicator of cardiac dysfunction3, and real-time monitoring of pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) is a useful tool for the management of patients with heart failure.2, 4 However, detection of this increase in pressure during routine, non-invasive examination is unlikely due to the lack of a...
