Abstract:

Objective To investigate the change of left atrial diameter (LAD) and its related clinical factors in patients with hypertension. Methods Two thousand patients with hypertension and 500 people without hypertension were selected from Ouyang Community of Hongkou District in Shanghai. The body weight, height, blood pressure, duration of hypertension, duration of anti-hypertension treatment and conditions of diabetes mellitus and arrhythmia were measured or recorded. The incidence of atrial fibrillation was analysed with electrocardiogram, and the parameters of LAD, left ventricular enddiastolic diameter (LVEDD), interventricular septal thickness (IVS), left ventricular wall thickness (LVPW) and ejection fraction (EF) were analysed with echocardiography. The related clinical factors of LAD were explored by Spearman rank test. Results There were 1 605 patients in hypertension group, with 671 males and 934 females. There were 432 people in non-hypertension group, with 85 males and 347 females. There were significant differences in LAD, LVEDD and EF between hypertension group and non-hypertension group (P<0.05), while there was no significant difference in IVS and LVPW between two groups (P>0.05). In hypertension group, the increase of LAD was significantly associated with age, body mass index, systolic blood pressure and conditions of diabetes mellitus and atrial fibrillation (P<0.05), while was not significantly associated with duration of hypertension and duration of anti-hypertension treatment (P>0.05), and the change of LAD was not significantly related to sex (P>0.05). Conclusion LAD is related to age, body mass index, systolic blood pressure and conditions of diabetes mellitus and atrial fibrillation in patients with hypertension. Community intervention on risk factors may decrease the LAD increase and incidence of atrial fibrillation.

Key words: left atrial diameter, epidemiology, hypertension, echocardiography, atrial fibrillation