ECHOCARDIOGRAPHIC EVALUATION OF LEFT ATRI AL FUNCTION IN ARTERIAL-HYPERTENSION

The atrial emptying index (AEI) was used to access the rapid phase of diastolic filling of the left ventricle (LV) in 27 hypertensive (HTA) untreated patients and in 27 normotensive (N) subjects, matched for ag e, body, surface and heart rate. All the patients had left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) : LV mass index (LVmi) > 134 g/m(2) for men, 110 g/ m(2) for women. All subjects had normal systolic function by echocardi ography. We derived : LV wall thickness (h); antero-posterior radius ( r); h/r ratio; LVmi; LAmi (before atrial contraction); AEI; A/E ratio. Results : [GRAPHICS] The AEI demonstrated a negative correlation with LAvi in N (r = -0,49; p = 0,005) and in HTA (r = -0,53;p = 0,002). Th is index was correlated significantly to A/E (r = 0,74;p < 0,001) and to LV mi (r = -0,32; p < 0,05 only in HTA. Conclusion. In HTA with LVH in comparison with N, there are conjointly an increase of the A/E rat io and a reduction of the AEI which is considered to be compensated by the increase of LAvi. These data could be explained by the less diste nsibility of LV chamber in relation to LVH.