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Evaluation of left atrial function in hypertensive patients with and without left ventricular hypertrophy using velocity vector imaging

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Abstract

To study left atrial deformation characteristics using Velocity vector imaging (VVI) in hypertensive patients with and without left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), and to explore its value for detection of left atrial dysfunction in these patients. Sixty-four patients with essential hypertension were divided into normal left ventricular geometry (LVN, 37 cases) and LVH (27 cases) groups, according to their left ventricular mass index. Twenty-five age-matched healthy participants were included as control group. Two-dimensional dynamic images of the apical four- and two-chamber echocardiographic views were obtained, and strain/strain rate (SR) curves of eight atrial segments were derived by VVI software. Peak systolic strain (εsys), systolic SR (SRs), early and late diastolic SR (SRe, SRa) were measured and calculated. Peak early diastolic mitral inflow and annulus velocities were also measured and their ratio (E/E′) calculated. Compared with the control group, SRe decreased and SRa increased significantly in LVH group (P < 0.05), while no significant difference was found between LVN and control groups with respect to SRe, SRa, SRs and εsys (P > 0.05). Also, no significant difference was observed in SRe, SRa, SRs and εsys between LVH and LVN groups (P > 0.05). SRe and SRa correlated significantly with E/E′ (r = −0.634, r = 0.609; both P < 0.001). Strain/SR parameters derived from VVI may reflect decreased conduit, increased booster pump function of the left atrium in hypertensive patients with LVH and correlate with left ventricular diastolic function.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by Guangdong Provincial Science and Technology Project (No. 2012B031800049).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cardiology, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yet-Sen University, 107 Yanjiang West Road, Guangzhou, 510120, China

    Li Yang & Qiong Qiu

  2. Department of Ultrasound, The Second Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China

    Si-hua Fang

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  1. Li Yang
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  2. Qiong Qiu
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  3. Si-hua Fang
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Correspondence to Li Yang.

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Li Yang and Qiong Qiu have contributed equally to this work.

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Yang, L., Qiu, Q. & Fang, Sh. Evaluation of left atrial function in hypertensive patients with and without left ventricular hypertrophy using velocity vector imaging. Int J Cardiovasc Imaging 30, 1465–1471 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10554-014-0485-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10554-014-0485-x

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