Electromechanical left atrial function in patients with varying degrees of hypertension

Abstract

Atrial arrhythmias are an often and common problem in patients with arterial hypertension. Some recent studies have shown that the electrical pulse delay estimated by echocardiography is prolonged in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation compared to healthy persons. To assess the electromechanical function of the left atrium in patients with various degrees of hypertension compared to healthy persons. The study has included 103 patients with artery hypertension, who were divided into four groups according to the degree of arterial hypertension and 46 healthy persons as a control. The volumes of the left atrium were measured by echocardiography using the disk, active and passive emptying volumes of left atrium and the fractions were calculated. Electrical delay within the left atrium and between the two atria were measured using the tissue Doppler. The values of passive left atrial emptying fraction were highest in patients in the control group and in patients with prehypertension they have significantly declined with the increased degree of hypertension (12.8 vs 12.6 vs 11.2 vs .10.2 vs 9.9%, p<0.001). The values of the active emptying fractions left atrium were higher in patients in the control group and with prehypertension threy have significantly declined as increased degree of arterial hypertension (28 vs 23 vs 40 vs 40 vs 39%). Electrical delay within the left atrium was significantly lower in patients in the control group and it has been significantly increased as a growing belonging to a group with higher levels of arterial hypertension (6 ... 9 ... 15 ... 23 ... 31 ms, p<0.001). Patients with prehypertension had significantly higher values of electrical delays within the left atrium compared to the patients in the control group. Electrical delay between the two atria grew significantly as a growing belonging to the group with a higher degree of hypertension (15.6 ... 25.3 ... 35.2 ... 50.2 ... 67.4ms, p<0.001). The study showed that even patients with regulated arterial hypertension have disturbed electromechanical function of the left atrium. Electrical delay in the atrium between the two atria is extended to the increasing degree of arterial hypertension, which can be explained by the higher risk for atrial arrhythmias in these patients.

Keywords

• arterial hypertension
• electromechanical delay
• left atrium