Left atrial function examination of healthy individuals with 2D speckle-tracking imaging

The aim of the present study was to determine the left atrial (LA) function of healthy individuals of various ages by examining their LA strain and time-to-peak (TP) using 2D speckle-tracking imaging (2DSTI). In addition, the study investigated the potential value of STI in clinical applications. The 142 volunteers were divided into three age groups, namely, young adult, middle-aged and elderly. Images were obtained from examining the volunteers via echocardiography, 2D apical four-chamber, apical two-chamber and apical left ventricular longitudinal views. Following the examinations, an STI technique was applied to acquire the strain curves of the LA wall, which determined the strains and TPs. LA strains of the three age groups showed that the strain of the inferior segment was higher compared with that of the central segment, whereas the central segment was higher than that of the superior segment. The inferior segment of the strain of the elderly group decreased as age increased compared with the young adult and middle-aged groups. The central segment of the elderly group was lower than the young adult and middle-aged groups. As age increased, the TP of the inferior segment showed longer duration in the elderly group compared with the other two groups. The elderly and the middle-aged groups showed a longer central TP compared with the young adult group. No statistical significance was observed between the elderly and middle-aged groups. STI demonstrated objective and accurate examination results of the LA function, which provide a novel approach for the early monitoring of potential subclinical diseases in LA function.