title: Evaluation of atrial electromechanical coupling times in hemodialysis patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There are no definite data about the atrial electromechanical coupling times (AEMCT) in patients with end stage renal failure (ESRF). The aim of this study was to investigate the AEMCT in ESRF patients without hypertension (HT) and diabetes mellitus.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study population consisted of 47 normotensive, nondiabetic ESRF patients and 41 healthy age/gender-matched control subjects. The time intervals from the onset of P-wave on the surface electrocardiogram to the beginning of late diastolic A-wave (PA) were obtained from the lateral mitral annulus (PA-lateral, maximum AEMCT), septal annulus (PA-septal), and tricuspid lateral annulus (PA-tricuspid). Time intervals were corrected according to the heart rate. The difference between PA-septal and PA-tricuspid (right AEMCT), PA-lateral and PA-septal (left AEMCT), and PA-lateral and PA-tricuspid (inter AEMCT) were calculated. Corrected time intervals were used for calculations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Groups were similar for age (52 ± 12.3 vs. 49.9 ± 6 years, P > 0.05) and gender. Maximum (61 ± 20 vs. 47 ± 13 ms; P < 0.001) AEMCT was significantly higher in the patients compared with the control group, but septal and tricuspid EMCT were not different (P > 0.05). Both inter-atrial (37 ± 21 vs. 24 ± 16 ms, P = 0.002) and left atrial (25 ± 18 vs. 12 ± 9 ms; P < 0.001) EMCT were significantly higher in patients when compared with the controls but intra-right atrial EMCT was not different.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Atrial conduction parameters such as maximal EMCT, left atrial, and inter-atrial EMCTs were prolonged in ESRF patients. This prolongation is seen in ESRF patients even in the absence of factors that affect atrial coupling, such as HT.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Çorum Training and Research Hospital, Hitit University, Çorum, Turkey.
authors.forename: Yusuf
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Karavelioğlu
authors.forename: Hekim
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Karapınar
authors.forename: Sultan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Özkurt
authors.forename: Savas
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sarıkaya
authors.forename: Zekeriya
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Küçükdurmaz
authors.forename: Arif
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arısoy
authors.forename: Recep
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kurt
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yılmaz
authors.forename: Mehmet G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Kaya
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000379:methods; D022062:Electrophysiologic Techniques, Cardiac / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006329:Heart Conduction System / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012016:Reference Values; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: atrial fibrillation; end stage renal failure; hemodialysis; inter-atrial electromechanical coupling time