Left ventricular mass and atrial volume determined by cine magnetic resonance imaging in essential hypertension

To evaluate the relationship between left atrial volume determined by cine magnetic resonance imaging and progression of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), left atrial volume and echocardiographic left ventricular mass (LVM) were measured in 30 hypertensive patients (15 without LVH and 15 with LVH) and 10 normotensive control subjects. We also evaluated the effects of ant ihypertensive therapy on the cardiac chamber volumes and LVM in hypertensiv e patients. The cardiac chamber volumes and LVM were indexed by body surfac e area. Although there were no significant differences in left ventricular chamber volumes among the three groups, both maximum and minimum left atria l volume indexes, and the LVM index were greater in hypertensive patients w ith LVH than in the other two groups. The LVM index was correlated with max imum left atrial volume index (r = 0.74, P <.0001), and minimum left atrial volume index (r = 0.76, P <.0001), respectively. Furthermore, in multivari ate models, the LVM index was significantly correlated with maximum left at rial volume index. In hypertensive patients with LVH, both maximum and mini mum left atrial volume indexes, and the LVM index significantly reduced aft er treatment. The percent of changes in maximum left atrial volume index af ter treatment was significantly correlated with the percent of changes in L VM index after treatment. In conclusion, our data indicate that LVH is an i ndependent determinant of left atrial enlargement, and both LVH and left at rial enlargement may be reversed by some effective therapeutic intervention s. Am J Hypertens 2000; 13:1103-1109 (C) 2000 American Journal of Hypertens ion, Ltd.