Abstract
Introduction
The right atrium (RA) has several roles including a systolic reservoir, early diastolic conduit and late-diastolic booster pump functions. The present study aimed to assess normal reference values of three-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography (3DSTE)-derived RA volumetric data and volume-based functional properties (stroke volumes, SVs and emptying fractions, EFs) in healthy adult subjects.
Methods
260 healthy adult subjects in sinus rhythm with complete clinical and demographic dataset have been included in the present study. However, due to inferior image quality 110 subjects have been excluded. The remaining population comprised 150 cases (31.0 ± 11.6 years, 79 males). Complete two-dimensional Doppler echocardiography and 3DSTE have been performed in all subjects.
Results
While systolic maximum RA volume did not change over age decades, early and late-diastolic RA pre-atrial contraction volume and minimum RA volume increased over time. Significantly larger values could be detected in more than 50 year-old healthy subjects as compared to younger subjects. Total atrial SV remained almost unchanged over age decades with a significant reduction in subjects aged >50 years. Passive atrial SV showed a continuous reduction over age decades and significant difference could be demonstrated between subjects aged 18-29 years and >50 years. Active atrial SV increased over age decades with a significant reduction in subjects aged >50 years. Total atrial EF did not show any changes over age decades, but a significant reduction could be demonstrated in cases aged >50 years. Passive atrial EF showed significant continuous reduction over age decades. Active atrial EF did not change in younger ages, it was the highest at ages 40-49 years with a significant impairment after 50 years. Females proved to have tendentiously higher RA volumes respecting the cardiac cycle regardless of age. No significant differences could be demonstrated between RA stroke volumes between genders except between 40-49 years when females had tendentiously higher values. RA emptying fractions were non-significantly, but tendentiously higher in females as compared to that of males regardless of age.
Conclusions
Normal reference values of 3DSTE-derived RA volumes and volume-based functional properties and their age- and gender dependency were defined in healthy adult subjects.
Normal reference values of three-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography-derived left atrial strain parameters (results from the MAGYAR-Healthy Study)
