Echocardiographic Correlation between Right Ventricular Function and Left Atrial Volume.

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Echocardiography
• Cardiac Physiology

Background:

• Limited reports exist on the relationship between left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) and its key features like left atrial enlargement, left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), and right ventricular (RV) function.
• Understanding these associations is crucial for comprehensive patient assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the correlation between left atrial size and RV function/dimensions in patients with and without LVDD and LVH.
• To elucidate the interplay between diastolic dysfunction and RV performance.

Main Methods:

• Fifty patients were enrolled: 25 with LVDD (study group) and 25 without (control group).
• Transthoracic echocardiography was performed to assess left atrial size/volume (LAV), LVDD, LVH, and RV function/dimensions.
• Statistical analysis included Pearson's correlation and comparison between groups and LVDD grades.

Main Results:

• In the LVDD group, larger left atrial size (LAV > 34 mL/m2, diameter > 40 mm) correlated with reduced tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) and RV lateral S' (p ≤ 0.001).
• Patients with LVDD showed a higher incidence of LVH and greater left atrial diameter compared to controls (p = 0.02, p = 0.03).
• Increased left atrial diameter and LAV were observed in patients with LVDD grade II versus grade I (p = 0.02, p = 0.01).

Conclusions:

• This study establishes, for the first time, a correlation between left atrial enlargement and progressive RV dysfunction in patients with LVDD.
• Left atrial size serves as a potential indicator of RV function decline in the context of LVDD.