AIM  To explore the correlation between blood lipid levels and the mechanical function of left atrial in patients with hypertension.

  METHODS  Patients diagnosed with hypertension in Beijing Anzhen Hospital from August 2018 to July 2020 were continuously selected. General clinical data were collected and blood lipids levels were tested. Two-dimension speckle tracking imaging (2D-STI) combined with transthoracic echocardiography was used to assess the patients’ left atrial mechanical function. The patients were divided into two groups: a normal left atrial strain group (n=124) and an impaired left atrial strain group (n=62). The correlation of left atrial strain damage with blood lipid levels and other clinical indicators were analyzed by multivariate Logistic regression analysis and the correlation of blood lipid index and left atrial strain parameters was analyzed by Pearson correlation analysis.

  RESULTS   Compared with patients with normal left atrial strain, patients with impaired left atrial strain had lower BMI (P<0.05), total cholesterol level (P<0.01), LDL-C level (P<0.01) and blood lipid comprehensive index (P<0.01). In terms of ultrasound value, patients with impaired left atrial strain had lower left ventricular ejection fraction (P<0.05), thicker ventricular septum (P<0.01) and larger left atrial diameter (P<0.01). The three strain indexes decreased in patients with left atrial strain injury (all P<0.01). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that LDL-C, blood lipid comprehensive index, BMI and LVEF were independently correlated with left atrial strain damage. Pearson linear correlation analysis showed that blood lipid comprehensive index was positively correlated with left atrial strain rate parameters.

  CONCLUSION  In hypertensive patients, low total cholesterol and LDL-C levels are independently related to the mechanical impairment of the left atrium.