title: Total atrial conduction time evaluated with tissue Doppler imaging increases in hypertensive patients with hyperuricemia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Serum uric acid (SUA) is an independent predictor of cardiovascular events in patients with hypertension. Total atrial conduction time (TACT) is a novel echocardiographic parameter used to identify the presence of electrical and structural atrial remodeling. We hypothesized that elevated SUA levels may be associated with prolonged TACT.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 50 consecutive hyperuricemic (defined as SUA>7 mg/dl for men and >6.0 mg/dl for women) patients who had hypertension were included in the study. A total of 42 normouricemic patients were also recruited consecutively as the control group. All patients were evaluated by two-dimensional echocardiography and TACT was estimated by measuring the time delay between the onset of the P-wave of ECG and peak A'-wave on the tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) of the left atrial lateral wall (PA-TDI duration).
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no significant differences between the two groups according to age, sex, left ventricular systolic function, left atrial diameter, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure values. PA-TDI duration was found to be significantly increased in the hyperuricemic group (112.3±14.7 vs. 92±12.7 ms; P<0.001) and positively correlated with the mean value of SUA levels (r=0.48, P<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TACT increases in patients with hyperuricemia. Certainly, larger studies in different populations should further examine this potential association.
authors.affiliation: aDepartment of Cardiology, Duzce Ataturk State Hospital bDepartment of Cardiology, Duzce University School of Medicine Hospital, Duzce, Turkey.
authors.forename: Cengiz
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Basar
authors.forename: Feyzullah
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Besli
authors.forename: Yasin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Turker
authors.forename: Hakan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ozhan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler / Q000379:methods*; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006329:Heart Conduction System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology*; D033461:Hyperuricemia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013997:Time Factors