Atrial fibrillation: the difference in thromboembolic events prognosis

Abstract

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: None. Aim To identify the difference between the thromboembolic events in different types of atrial fibrillation (AF). Materials and methods We included 188 patients with permanent AF (of them were 99 men and 89 women). According to the data of 24-hours ECG monitoring, all patients were divided into 3 groups depending on the duration of maximum pauses between ventricular complexes in AF: 1. Patients with a pause < 1 second (64 people). 2. Patients with a pause of ≥1, but <2 seconds (62 people). 3. Patients with a pause ≥ 2 seconds or more (62 people). In control group we included 80 patients without AF. All groups were identical in age, sex and comorbidities. All patients underwent transthoracic or transesophageal echocardiography (we excluded the intra-chamber thrombosis in all the patients as well as the left ventricle aneurisms), Doppler ultrasound of the brachiocephalic vessels, branches of the aorta, arteries of the lower extremities, renal arteries, lipids level. If it was indicated, we performed stress echocardiography, coronary angiography, renal artery angiography, computed tomography of brain with contrast. The patients of all groups were on the standard therapy recommended by current ESC guidelines. We were observing the patients for 1 year after the beginning of the investigation. The endpoints were at 3, 6 and 12 months after the primary visit. During these endpoints, we analyzed the development of thromboembolic complications. Results We analyzed the data obtained on thromboembolic complications in 1 year in patients of 1, 2, 3 groups and compared them with the control group. The most frequent incidence of complications was in group 3 compared with other groups and the control group. We believe that the risk factor for thromboembolic complications is not only the fact of permanent form of AF, but also what type of AF. The most unfavorable is AF with pauses between ventricular contractions of 2 seconds or more. Conclusion We consider to use the proposed functional classification of AF in clinical practice. Determination of the type of AF will largely determine the further management tactics of each patient, the prognosis of the thromboembolic complications. We supplemented the CHA2DS2-VASc score with the new independent risk factor – type of AF – in accordance to the maximum duration of pauses between cardiocycles.