Total atrial conduction time evaluated with tissue Doppler imaging increases in hypertensive patients with hyperuricemia.

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).
Conclusion: TACT increases in patients with hyperuricemia. Certainly, larger studies in different populations should further examine this potential association.