Impact of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus on Left Atrioventricular Coupling and Left Atrial Deformation in Patients with Essential Hypertension: An MRI Feature Tracking Study

Background Hypertension (HTN) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are both associated with left ventricular (LV) and left atrial (LA) structural and functional abnormalities; however, the relationship between the left atrium and ventricle in this population is unclear. Purpose To identify differences between hypertensive patients with and without T2DM as the basis for further investigation the atrioventricular coupling relationship. Study Type Cross‐sectional, retrospective study. Population 89 hypertensive patients without T2DM [HTN (T2DM−)] (age: 58.4 +/− 11.9 years, 48 male), 62 hypertensive patients with T2DM [HTN (T2DM+)] (age: 58.5 +/− 9.1 years, 32 male) and 70 matched controls (age: 55.0 +/− 9.6 years, 37 male). Field Strength/Sequence 2D balanced steady‐state free precession cine sequence at 3.0 T. Assessment LA reservoir, conduit, and booster strain (ε s , ε e , and ε a ) and strain rate (SRs, SRe, and SRa), LV radial, circumferential and longitudinal peak strain (PS) and peak systolic strain rate and peak diastolic strain rate (PSSR and PDSR) were derived from LA and LV cine images and compared between groups. Statistical Tests Chi‐square or Fisher's exact test, one‐way analysis of variance, analysis of covariance, Pearson's correlation, multivariable linear regression analysis, and intraclass correlation coefficient. A P value <0.05 was considered significant. Results Compared with controls, ε s , ε e , SRe and PS‐longitudinal, PDSR‐radial, and PDSR‐longitudinal were significantly lower in HTN (T2DM−) group, and they were even lower in HTN (T2DM+) group than in both controls and HTN (T2DM−) group. SRs, ε a , SRa, as well as PS‐radial, PS‐circumferential, PSSR‐radial, and PSSR‐circumferential were significantly lower in HTN (T2DM+) compared with controls. Multivariable regression analyses demonstrated that: T2DM and PS‐circumferential and PS‐longitudinal ( β = −4.026, −0.486, and −0.670, respectively) were significantly associated with ε s ; T2DM and PDSR‐radial and PDSR‐circumferential were significantly associated with ε e ( β = −3.406, −3.352, and −6.290, respectively); T2DM and PDSR‐radial were significantly associated with SRe ( β = 0.371 and 0.270, respectively); T2DM and PDSR‐longitudinal were significantly associated with ε a ( β = −1.831 and 5.215, respectively); and PDSR‐longitudinal was significantly associated with SR a ( β = 1.07). Data Conclusion In hypertensive patients, there was severer LA dysfunction in those with coexisting T2DM, which may be associated with more severe LV dysfunction and suggests adverse atrioventricular coupling. Evidence Level 3. Technical Efficacy Stage 3.