Left Atrial Function in Young Strength Athletes: Four-Dimensional Automatic Quantitation Study

Background Athletes might suffer from potentially fatal heart disease, which has always been a concern in cardiovascular medicine. The changes in left atrial (LA) size and function are related to the occurrence of arrhythmia. In the present study, four-dimensional automatic quantitation (4D LAQ) was used to explore the changes in LA function of young strength athletes. Methods Eighty professional young strength athletes and sixty healthy young adults matched in age were selected for the study. The LA volumes and strains were automatically analyzed by 4D LAQ. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to evaluate the diagnostic value of strain in athletes' LA function. Pearson correlation analysis was performed to assess the potential association between conventional echocardiographic indexes and 4D parameters related to athletes' LA function. Results Compared to the control group, LA longitudinal and circumferential strain in the athlete group decreased, while LA volume increased (P<0.05). However, LA strain was similar among 45 male and 35 female strength athletes (P>0.05), while male athletes presented with a higher LA volume when compared to female controls (P<0.05). ROC curve analysis showed that LA contraction longitudinal strain (LASct) was the best predictor in evaluating athletes' LA function. Athletes' heart rate and left ventricular mass index were significantly correlated with 4D LA function parameters. Conclusions 4D LAQ can be used for early detection of the changes in LA function in young strength athletes. There was no significant difference in LA strain between male and female athletes. The LASct was the most effective index for evaluating athletes' LA function.