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Published on: February 20, 2017
Echocardiographic assessment of left atrial size in patients with end-stage renal disease
Dardan Koçinaj1, Masar Gashi, Merita Berisha
1University Clinical Centre of Kosova, Prishtina, Kosova. dall_k@yahoo.com
Insights
Patients with end-stage renal disease undergoing hemodialysis often have cardiac issues. This study found that 26.02% of patients had left atrial dilation, a key indicator of cardiovascular risk.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Nephrology
- Echocardiography
Background:
- Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients.
- ESRD patients exhibit accelerated atherosclerosis and increased prevalence of cardiac abnormalities.
- Hemodialysis is linked to cardiovascular structural changes and electrolyte imbalances.
Purpose of the Study:
- To estimate left atrial size using echocardiography in ESRD patients on hemodialysis.
- To identify correlations between various echocardiographic measurements of left atrial size.
Main Methods:
- Transthoracic echocardiography was performed on 123 hemodialysis patients.
- Statistical analyses included standard parameters, correlations, and the Student's t-test.
- Significance levels were set at p < 0.01 and p < 0.05.
Main Results:
- The predominant age group was 60-69 years, with 56.1% females.
- Left atrial dilation was observed in 26.02% of the study cohort.
- A significant correlation was found between different measurement methods for left atrial volume.
Conclusions:
- Multiple measurements are recommended for accurate left atrial size assessment.
- Left atrial enlargement should be recognized as a risk factor for progressive cardiac disease in ESRD patients.
Background:
Cardiac disease is the most common cause of death in patients with end-stage renal disease. It is assumed that the high rate of cardiovascular mortality is related to accelerated atherosclerosis. Patients with chronic renal insufficiency have an increased prevalence of coronary artery disease, silent myocardial ischaemia, complex ventricular arrhythmias, atrial fibrillation, left ventricular hypertrophy, annular mitral and aortic valve calcification, and enlargement of the left atrium, than patients with normal renal function. It is also well known that haemodialysis is associated with cardiovascular structural changes and rapid fluctuations in electrolyte levels. In this study, we sought to estimate left atrial size by means of echocardiography and to determine any correlations between different echocardiographic measurements in patients with end-stage renal disease.
Methods:
We analysed data from 123 patients who were on regular haemodialysis, by means of traditional transthoracic echocardiographic examination. The usual statistical parameters, correlations and the Student's t-test were performed, with levels of significance of p < 0.01 and p < 0.05.
Results:
The most presented age group was 60 to 69 years old, with a predomination of females (56.1%). We found dilated left atrium in 26.02% of the study patients and a high statistical correlation between different methods of measurement and calculated volumes of the left atrium.
Conclusion:
Evaluation of left atrial size should be determined by several different measurements, and left atrial enlargement should be seen as a risk factor for advancing disease.
