Assessment of Left Atrial Strain in Patients with and without Chronic Obstructive Airway Disease.

Abstract

Background: The cardiac abnormality related with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has traditionally been right ventricular (RV) dysfunction, publications in the last century already reporting pathological left atrial (LA) changes due to increased (LV) end diastolic pressure which increases the LA strain.

Aim: To evaluate left atrium (LA) strain by two-dimensional (2D)- STE in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Patients and methods: This prospective study was carried out on 39 subjects divided into (Group I) including 14 normal persons and (Group II) including 25 COPD patients with typical symptoms and signs and typical radiological features of COPD. All subjects were subjected to resting transthoracic echocardiography and left atrial strain analysis.

Results: Left atrium, aorta, pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP), E/A were significantly higher in group 2 than group left atrial strain rate (LA sr) (apical 4 and 2 chamber) were significantly higher in group 1 than group 2 (P<0.05). LAScd (apical 4 chamber) was significantly lower in group 1 than group 2 (P<0.001). There was a negative correlation between (smoking index) and (LA sr, LAScd in apical 4 and 2 chambers) (P<0.05). There was a negative correlation between (smoking index) and LASct (apical 2 chambers) (P<0.05). There was negative correlation but statistically insignificant between TAPSE and PASP.

Conclusions: LA sr was affected in COPD patients.