Assessment of left atrial mechanical function with real-time three-dimensional echocardiography in essential hypertension patients with normal left ventricular geometric

Objective To estimate left atrial mechanical function with three-dimensional echocardiography in essential hypertension patients with normal left ventricular geometric.Methods Fifty essential hypertension patients with normal left ventricular geometric(left ventricular mass index LVMI,man125 g/m2,woman120 g/m2,relative wall thickness RWT0.45) and 50 age-BSA matched healthy controls were enrolled.All subjects were collected full volume imaging at apical four-chamber view with real-time three-dimensional echocardiography.Left atrial volume curve,left atrium maximal volume(LAV_max),left atrium minimal volume(LAV_min) and left atrium presystolic volume(LAVpre) were analyzed with QLAB workstation.Following parameters including left atrium passive emptying volume(LAVp),left atrium passive emptying fraction(LAVpEF),conduit volume(CV),left atrium active emptying volume(LAVa),left atrium active emptying fraction(LAVaEF),left atrium total emptying volume(LAVt) and left atrium total emptying fraction(LAVtEF) were calculated.Left ventricle maximal volume(LVmax) and left ventricle minimal volume(LVmin) were measured by same way,then stroke volume(SV) and left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF) were calculated.All volumes were standardized for body surface area.Result LAV_max,LAV_min,LAVpre,LAVt,LAVa,LV_max,SV increased obviously in hypertensives than in the controls(P0.001),while LAVtEF,LAVpEF,LAVaEF,LAVp,CV,LV_min and LVEF were similar in both groups(P0.05).Conclusion Atrial reservoir and booster pump functions increase in hypertensive patients,but conduit function does not changed.Left atrial volume changes before left ventricle geometric does.