Wang D, Xu JZ, Chen X, et al. - Using the speckle-tracking echocardiographic strain imaging technique, researchers assessed the left atrial myocardial deformation in patients with primary aldosteronism (n = 107) [52 aldosterone-producing adenoma (APA) and 55 idiopathic hyperaldosteronism]. In this study, 50 primary hypertensive patients were also included. Findings revealed impaired left atrial deformation mechanics and increased left atrial stiffness in patients with primary aldosteronism, particularly APA, thus, offering a promising insight into early detection of subclinical left atrial dysfunction by strain echocardiography. Significant associations of left atrial strain, strain rate and stiffness index with plasma aldosterone concentration and urinary aldosterone excretion were revealed in unadjusted analysis. These links continued to be statistically significant for urinary aldosterone excretion but not plasma aldosterone concentration after adjustment for multiple confounding factors.