New-onset left atrial enlargement in a general population

Increased left atrium diameter (LAD) is associated with elevated risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. We evaluated new-onset left atrium enlargement (LAE) and their correlates over a 10-year period in participants of the general population enrolled in the Pressioni Monitorate e Loro Associazioni study.

The study included 1045 participants with normal LAD at baseline evaluation having a readable echocardiogram at the end of follow-up. Cut-points for abnormal LAD were derived from reference values recommended by American Society of Echocardiography.

Over a 10-year period, 123 participants (11.8%) progressed to LAE. The incidence of new-onset LAE increased significantly from the lowest to the highest tertile of baseline office, home and 24-h blood pressure (BP); BMI; fasting blood glucose and left ventricular mass index (LVMI). In multivariate analysis, baseline LAD [odds ratio (OR) 3.18, confidence interval (CI) 2.26-4.47, P < 0.001], female sex (OR 3.68, CI 2.20-6.18, P < 0.001), office SBP (OR 1.36, CI 1.08-1.70, P = 0.008), BMI (OR 1.35, CI 1.07-1.69, P = 0.01 and LVMI (OR 1.29, CI 1.01-1.64, P = 0.04) emerged as key correlates of new-onset LAE.

The study shows that in the population, long-term changes from normal LAD to LAE are independently driven by several risk factors such as the female sex and an increased baseline LAD, BMI, LVMI and BP, with no predictive superiority of home and ambulatory versus office values. Preventing BP elevations, overweight/obesity and left ventricular hypertrophy may thus all be important for LAE prevention.