[Speckle tracking analysis of left atrial phasic function in patients with hypertension]

To assess left atrial (LA) phasic function in hypertension (HT) and to evaluate its relationship with left ventricular diastolic function.

Cross-sectional data of 738 population (149 non-HT as control, and 589 HT were further grouped into normal left ventricular diastolic function, mild diastolic dysfunction and moderate/severe diastolic dysfunction sub-groups) in an urban community of Beijing were used. LA global longitudinal strain in late diastole (Sa), early diastole (Se), and total strain (Stot = Sa+ Se), strain rate in late diastole (SRa), systole (SRs), and early diastole (SRe) were measured using off-line speckle-tracking echocardiography analyzing software, and were compared between non-HT and HT groups, and among HT sub-groups.

LA reservoir [Stot: 22.7% ± 5.9% vs. 21.0% ± 5.8%, P = 0.002; SRs: (1.1 ± 0.3)/s vs. (1.0 ± 0.3)/s, P = 0.033] and conduit [Se: 11.1% ± 4.8% vs. 9.6% ± 4.2%, P = 0.001; SRe: (1.0 ± 0.4)/s vs. (0.9 ± 0.3)/s, P < 0.001] indexes were reduced significantly in HT, while contraction (Sa & SRa) indexes were similar to those of non-HT.

LA reservoir and conduit functions are impaired in HT and deteriorate with left ventricular diastolic dysfunction. LA contraction is preserved in HT with normal and mild diastolic dysfunction while impaired in moderate/severe diastolic dysfunction.