Aim: Left atrial (LA) enlargement is a common finding in systemic hypertension and is a risk factor for the development of atrial fibrillation and stroke. We determined the correlates of LA enlargement in a Nigerian hypertensive population.
Methods: A total of 361 hypertensives were recruited for echocardiography. Enlarged left atrium was defined as LA diameter > 4.2 cm in men or > 3.8 cm in women.
Results: Enlarged LA was found in 15.8% of the hypertensives (19.2% in females and 12.5% males). Compared with those without dilated LA, subjects with dilated LA had higher age, body mass index, left ventricular end diastolic diameter, left ventricular wall thickness, lower ejection fraction and fractional shortening. In multivariate analysis, body mass index and left ventricular (LV) mass were the major predictors of LA size, whereas dilated LA was related to age, female gender and LV mass or the presence of left ventricular hypertrophy in logistic regression analysis.
Conclusion: Left atrial size in Nigerian hypertensives is influenced by age, female gender, left ventricular mass and body mass index.