J Korean Soc Echocardiogr.  1995 Dec;3(2):179-187. 10.4250/jkse.1995.3.2.179.

Left Atrial Size in Hypertensive Patients with Atrial Fibrillation

• Kang YM
• Park WH

• KMID: 2410420
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4250/jkse.1995.3.2.179

Abstract

BACKGROUND
As atrial fibrillation occurs in the patients with hypertensive heart disease, the functional abnormalities of heart become more severe and the risk of systemic and cerebral embolization increases. In this study we checked left atrial dimension and other parameters with echocardiography in hypertensive patients with atrial fibrillation.
METHODS
In an attempt to define the difference in left atrial dimension and the relation between left atrial size and various echocardiographic parameters, M-mode echocardiography was used to study 63 hypertensive patients, 33 patients with atrial fibrillation, and 30 patients with sinus rhythm.
RESULTS
The mean left atrial dimension was 51.7±8.7mm in hypertensive patients with atrial fibrillation versus 39.3±8.4mm in hypertensive patients with sinus rhythm(p < 0.001). In hypertensive patients with atrial fibrillation left atrial dimension was over 50mm in 82%(27 of 33). Left atrial size had positive correlations with end-systolic and -diastolic internal dimension of left ventricle(LV), LV mass and E-point septal separation, and negative correlations with fractional shortening and ejection fraction of LV.
CONCLUSION
The echocardiographic measurement of left atrial dimension in patients with hypertension was useful in evaluating the hypertensive heart disease.

Keyword

Left atrial size; Hypertension; Atrialfibrillation

MeSH Terms

Atrial Fibrillation*
Echocardiography
Heart
Heart Diseases
Humans
Hypertension