Right atrium enlargement is related to increased heart damage and mortality in well-controlled hypertension

Background and aim: Left heart remodeling is a well-known pathophysiological effect of arterial hypertension. Right Heart status is not considered in its evaluation. No data are available on right atrium (RA) and its impact on the outcome in hypertension. We wondering to understand whether RA may play a role as a marker of an increased risk for organ damage in well-controlled hypertensives, to probe the clinical significance and whether it could indicate an increased risk.

Methods and results: We studied well-controlled hypertensive patients. Heart damage was assessed by echocardiography. Patients were subdivided into those with RA area ≤18 cm² (normal RA - Group 1) (554 pts, 227 M, aged 60.35 ± 10.48 years) and those >18 cm² (Increased RA - Group 2) (101 pts, 71 M, age 61.65 ± 9.46 years). Group 2 had a higher left ventricle mass (LVM) and left atrium volume (LAV) both as absolute value (both p < 0.0001) and indexed for body surface area (LVMi p < 0.013; LAVi p = 0.0013). Group 2 showed an increased vascular stiffness (p < 0.0001) and carotid stenosis percentage (p = 0.011). TAPSE (p < 0.0001) resulted significantly increased. In The RA area was significantly correlated directly to LVM and LAV in both groups, but these correlations persisted in indexed values only in Group 2. Moreover, in this group there was a significant direct correlation between RA area and Tricuspid s'wave at echocardiography TDI analysis. Finally, Group 2 had an increased mortality rate compared to Group 1 (Log-Rank p = 0.0006).

Conclusion: Group 2 hypertensive patients showed more alterations in dimensional and volumetric left heart parameters, and an increased mortality.