Left ventricular hypertrophy determines the severity of diastolic dysfunction in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation and preserved left ventricular systolic function

Regression of left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy (LVH) is known to be related to a lower incidence of stroke in hypertensive patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NV-AF). However, its mechanism remains controversial. Recently, diastolic dysfunction (DD) was reported to be correlated with ischemic stroke in NV-AF. We hypothesized that hypertension (HTN) and resultant LVH might be associated with the severity of DD in NV-AF. Two hundred and ninety-four patients (204 males, age 66 ± 12 y) with NV-AF with preserved LV systolic function were included. Clinical and echocardiographic data were compared between patients with enlarged left atrial (LA) volume (n = 237) and patients with normal LA. Age (60 ± 12 vs. 67 ± 11 years), sex (male; 81 vs. 62%), duration of NV-AF (4.1 ± 7.8 vs. 45.7 ± 49.0 months), brain natriuretic peptide (108.3 ± 129.3 vs. 236.1 ± 197.0 pg/mL), right ventricular systolic pressure (24.5 ± 5.5 vs. 33.1 ± 11.1 mmHg), mitral inflow velocity (E [77.4 ± 22.2 vs. 88.3 ± 22.0 cm/s]), LV mass index (LVMI [87.6 ± 22.2 vs. 105.1 ± 23.2 g/m²]), peak systolic mitral annular velocity (S' [7.2 ± 2.0 vs. 5.8 ± 1.8 cm/s]), and mitral inflow velocity to diastolic mitral annular velocity (E/E' [9.8 ± 3.4 vs. 12.1 ± 4.4]) were significantly different between the two groups, respectively (P < 0.05). In multivariate analysis, LVMI was independently correlated with increased LA volume (OR: 1.037 [95% CI: 1.011-1.063], P < 0.05), whereas HTN was not. LA enlargement, which reflects the severity and chronicity of DD, is independently associated with LVH in patients with NV-AF. Therefore, regression of LVH with anti-hypertensive treatment may lead to improvement of diastolic function and favorable clinical outcomes in hypertensive patients with NV-AF.