The effect of body weight on left atrial function determined by longitudinal strain analysis in young adults

Purpose Obesity is a risk factor for various cardiovascular disorders. Left atrial (LA) function is vital for predicting adverse outcomes in many diseases. LA strain was recently proposed as a noninvasive and valuable parameter for LA functional evaluation. We investigated the effect of body mass index (BMI) values on left atrial functions determined by longitudinal strain analysis in young adults without concomitant disease. Methods We prospectively included 134 subjects in our study. Participants were categorized into three subgroups, obese, overweight, and control, according to their BMI. Conventional echocardiographic measurements and strain analysis were performed on all patients. Results There were 41 patients (30.5%) in the obesity group, 46 patients (34.3%) in the overweight group, and 47 patients (35.0%) in the control group. Obese patients had significantly larger LA volume (46.9 ± 12.1 ml; p