Correlations between left atrial volumes and strains in healthy adults: Detailed analysis from the three‐dimensional speckle‐tracking echocardiographic MAGYAR‐Healthy Study

Abstract

Introduction:Little is known about the relationship between left atrium (LA) volumes and contractility features along the cardiac cycle. The present study aimed to assess, by threedimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography (3DSTE), correlations between LA volumes, volume-based functional properties, and strains during the cardiac cycle in healthy adults.Methods: We included 217 healthy adult volunteers (mean age 33.4 ± 12.7 years, 112 males) who underwent complete two-dimensional Doppler echocardiography with 3DSTE.Results: LA stroke volumes were greater in subjects with the greater maximum LA volume (V max ) in reservoir, conduit, and booster pump phases of LA function. While LA emptying fraction in LA reservoir phase was not different between subjects depending in their V max value, a significantly lower LA emptying fraction could be detected in LA conduit phase in subjects whose V max was >50 mL. In booster pump function, LA emptying fraction was not significantly different whatever the V max .Only global and mean segmental peak LA radial strain (RS) and 3D strain (3DS) and the same strains at atrial contraction appeared greater in subjects with greater V max , whereas the other strain parameters were not different. Conclusions:In healthy subjects, LA-RS and LA-3DS, objective features of LA contractility, are greater in subjects with greater LA volumes up to a point beyond which this association disappears.

Right atrial volumes and strains in healthy adults: is the Frank-Starling mechanism working?—detailed analysis from the three-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiographic MAGYAR-Healthy Study

“…In a recent study, similar LA analysis was performed in healthy subjects by 3DSTE ( 3 ). Compared to these findings, RA functional properties showed different patterns with increasing RA volumes as compared to findings with LA ( 3 ).…”

“…In a recent study, similar LA analysis was performed in healthy subjects by 3DSTE ( 3 ). Compared to these findings, RA functional properties showed different patterns with increasing RA volumes as compared to findings with LA ( 3 ). While atrial volumes and stroke volumes showed similar increase with increasing atrial volumes, emptying fractions in reservoir and booster pump functions remained unchanged for both atria.…”

“…All data were analysed by two experienced physicians (AN, ÁK). The present study is a part of the Motion Analysis of the heart and Great vessels bY three-dimensionAl speckle-tRacking echocardiography in Healthy subjects (MAGYAR-Healthy) Study, which was organized for physiologic studies among others following acquisition of 3D echocardiographic datasets of hundreds of healthy adults (‘Magyar’ means ‘Hungarian’ in Hungarian language) ( 3 , 5 , 8 , 9 ). The study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki (as revised in 2013).…”

“…This sort of relationship could be demonstrated not only for the left ventricle (LV) (2), but for the left atrium (LA), as well (3,4). In recent studies, increased LA contractility facilitated by increased LA preload could be seen, however, only up to a point, beyond which LA contractility did not increase further (3,4). Similar detailed analysis for the right atrium (RA), however, was not performed.…”

“…This phenomenon is called the Frank-Starling mechanism, allowing the output of a cardiac chamber to be synchronized without external regulation (1). This sort of relationship could be demonstrated not only for the left ventricle (LV) (2), but for the left atrium (LA), as well (3,4). In recent studies, increased LA contractility facilitated by increased LA preload could be seen, however, only up to a point, beyond which LA contractility did not increase further (3,4).…”