Abstract:

[Abstract] Objective  To discuss the changes of left atrial function by evaluating the parameters using colour Doppler echocardiography in patients with coronary heart disease. Methods  One hundred and twenty-five patients with chest pain and chest tightness were included in this study, in which there were 90 patients with coronary heart disease (CHD), 35 patients with non-coronary heart disease (NCHD). For patients with CHD, there were 30 patients with single-vessel disease, 30 with double-vessel disease and 30 with triple-vessel disease. Values of left atrial diameter (LAD), area (LAA), volume (LAV), left atrial ejection fraction (LAEF), the velocity of left atrial wall (VA-LA), the velocity of interatrial septum (VA-IAS) were measured by colour Doppler echocardiography in all patients. Results  There were significant increases in LAD, LAA and LAV in patients with CHD. The values of LAEF, VA-LA and VA-IAS were significantly lower in patients with CHD than those in patients with NCHD (P < 0.01). The values of LAA-EF, LAV-EF, VA-LA and LVEF were significantly lower in single-vessel disease group than those in NCHD group. Values of LAD, LAA and LAV were significantly greater, but values of LAA-EF, LAV-EF, VA-LA, VA-IAS and LVEF were significantly lower, in double-vessel and triple-vessel disease group than those of single-vessel disease group and NCHD group (P < 0.001). Conclusion  Coronary heart disease can impair left atrial function, which was aggravated with the severity of coronary lesions. The value of VA-LA was the sensitive parameter for the change assessment of left atrial function in coronary heart disease.

Key words: echocardiography, coronary heart disease, atrial function, coronarography