Assessment of left atrial function in diabetes mellitus by left atrial volume tracking method

The value of the left atrial volume tracking (LAVT) method in the evaluation of left atrial (LA) function in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) was examined in this study. Fifty-eight DM patients as DM group and 40 healthy people as normal control group were enrolled in this study. EUB-6500 echocardiographic imaging system with LAVT was applied to display and analyze the LA volume curve imaging on LV apical two and four chamber views. The maximal LA volume at end-systole (LAV_max), LA volume at the onset of ECG-P wave (LAV_p), the minimal LA volume at end-diastole (LAV_min) from the LA volume curve were acquired and recorded. All values above were standardized by body surface area (BSA). Then the passive, active and total LA volume (LAVIpass, LAVIact, LAVItotal) and empting rate (%LAVIpass, %LAVIact, %LAVItotal), effective passive and active empting rate (%eLAVIpass, %eLAVIact), and the proportionality of passive empting volume and active empting volume were calculated. The LAVIp, LAVIact, LAVItotal, %LAVIact, %LAVItotal and %eLAVIact were significantly higher in the DM group than those in the control group, whereas the LAVIpass, %LAVIpass, %eLAVIpass and LAVIpass/act were lower (all P<0.05). For the LA volume change in DM, the active empting volume was enhanced at end-diastole. It was concluded that LAVT is a potentially useful tool to evaluate the function of LA.