Changes in P Wave Dispersion, Left Atrial Size and Function in Hypertensive Patients with Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation

Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common disorder in hypertension. P wave dispersion (P), a recent marker of the inhomogeneous and fractionated dispersal of sinus node impulse, has been found to predict patients with paroxysmal AF. This study was undertaken to compare the ~P. left atrial (LA) dimensions and contractile function in hypertensive patients with or without paroxysınal AF to find the predictors of AF attacks. Twenty-five hypertensive patients, with paroxysmal AF (M/F:10/15, mean age 59± 9 years), and 25 hypertensive patients without paroxysmal AF (M/F:8/l 7, mean age 56± 13) formed the study group. Maximum (P max) and minimum (P min) P wave durations and their difference, (~P) were measured from 1 2-lead electrocardiogram. M-mode and 2D echocardiographic measurements, LA dimensions, volumes, and atrial ejection fraction (AEF) were recorded. Statistical comparison was done with Student-t test, and p<0.05 was accepted for the limit of statistical significance. There was no statistically significant difference between groups for heart rate, interventricular septum, LV posterior wall, LV diastolic internal dimension, LV mass. Changes in LA dimensions (4.3± 0.5cm vs 4.25±0.4 cm, p=0.75) volume (78±17 ml vs 74± 24 ml, p=0.63), P max ( l 10±12 ms vs 107±11 ms , p=0.3) were not statistically significant. However, P (min) (52±10 ms vs 65±10 ms, pKeywords: Hypertension, paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, P wave dispersion, left atrium