Left Atrial Strain and Compliance Correlate with Diastolic Dysfunction Grades and Complications during Pre-eclampsia: A Speckle-Tracking Echocardiography Study.

This study aimed to investigate left atrium (LA) strain components in the assessment of cardiac function and its clinical correlates in pre-eclampsia (PE). With the use of speckle tracking echocardiography, phasic LA strain and (LASr)/(E/e'), the surrogate of LA compliance, were compared between healthy pregnant women (n = 70) and those with PE (n = 146) and among different diastolic dysfunction (DD) grades in PE. Receiver operating characteristic curves and logistic regression analysis were used to identify the role of strain components in distinguishing DD grades and predicting cardiac complications. LA reservoir strain, conduit strain and LA compliance reduced significantly in PE (p < 0.01). LASr/(E/e') gradually decreased with worsening DD and LASr/(E/e') <3.40 was the independent risk factor for cardiac events in PE (p < 0.01). This study observed significantly decreased LA strain and compliance in PE. Notably, LA compliance decreased progressively with the severity of DD, and LASr/(E/e') <3.40 is the independent risk factor for cardiac complications during PE pregnancy.