Atrial conduction time and atrial mechanical function in patients with impaired fasting glucose

Prolonging atrial conduction time, as measured by tissue Doppler imaging (TDI), is an independent predictor of new onset or recurrent atrial fibrillation (AF). We investigated atrial conduction time and cardiac mechanical function in patients with impaired fasting glucose (IFG) using echocardiography.

Thirty patients with IFG (19 males and 11 females; age, 46.9 ± 9.5 years) and 30 control subjects (18 males and 12 females; age, 46.7 ± 8.2 years) were included. Atrial conduction time was determined from the lateral mitral annulus (PA lateral), septal mitral annulus (PA septal), and lateral tricuspid annulus (PA tricuspid) by TDI. Inter- and intra-atrial electromechanical delays (EMDs) were calculated. Left atrial (LA) volumes were determined according to the biplane area-length method. LA mechanical function parameters were calculated.

LA passive emptying volume and LA passive emptying fraction decreased significantly in patients with IFG as compared with control subjects (p < 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively). PA lateral and PA septal durations were significantly higher in patients with IFG than in the control group. However, no difference in PA tricuspid duration was observed between the two groups. Inter- and intra-atrial EMDs were significantly higher in patients with IFG as compared with the control subjects (median [interquartile range], 34.0 [17.0] vs. 17.0 [4.0], p < 0.001 and 15.0 [8.5] vs. 7.5 [2.0], p < 0.001, respectively). Positive correlations were detected between both inter- and intra-atrial EMD and glucose levels (r = 0.76, p < 0.001 and r = 0.68, p < 0.001, respectively). Additionally, a multiple linear regression analysis revealed that glucose levels were independently associated with inter-atrial EMD (β = 0.753, p < 0.001).

We showed that IFG was associated with inter- and intra-atrial EMD. Our findings suggest that IFG is an etiological factor for the development of AF.