Incident Atrial Fibrillation Cases Research Articles

Post-operative atrial fibrillation after noncardiac surgery: diagnostic role of ambulatory rhythm monitoring for recurrent arrhythmia after hospital discharge

Abstract Introduction Postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) after noncardiac surgery constitutes 10-15% of all cases of incident atrial fibrillation (AF) in the community and has been associated with an increased risk of stroke. The risk of subsequent AF among patients with POAF is not well defined. Purpose To evaluate the role of systematic 30-day electrocardiographic (ECG) monitoring in the detection of AF recurrence after POAF. Methods In a prospective interventional study, patients who underwent major noncardiac surgeries and had new AF documented by ECG in the post-operative period between May 2022 and April 2023 were identified. For these patients, a 30-day ambulatory ECG monitor was recommended upon discharge, with final ordering deferred to the primary inpatient teams. Rates of recurrent AF of any duration detected by 30-day monitoring plus routine care versus routine care alone after the surgery were compared. Results Eighty-five patients with new-onset POAF were included (mean age 72 years, male 67%). Of these, 35 (41%) patients underwent up to 30 days [median 23 (IQR 6-27) days] of continuous ECG monitoring after hospital discharge. There were no significant differences in baseline characteristics between patients who did or did not undergo monitoring (Table 1). During median 281 (IQR 197-385) days of follow-up, recurrent AF was documented in 14/35 (40%) patients in the monitoring group as opposed to 7/50 (14%) patients in the usual care group (log-rank p=0.003, Figure 1). The median time from day of surgery until documented AF recurrence was 25 (IQR 6-53) days in the monitoring group and 66 (IQR 25-145) in the usual care group. Overall, 81% of recurrent AF events in both groups were detected in the first 3 months after surgery. The median burden of AF in the cardiac monitoring group was 7% (IQR 1-15), with the longest AF event lasting a median of 6 (IQR 2-18) hours. Anticoagulation for AF was prescribed in 24/64 (37%) patients with POAF without recurrence and in 16/21 (76%) patients with recurrent AF. Conclusion Recurrent AF following POAF is common and detected most frequently in the first 3 months after noncardiac surgery. Systematic ambulatory rhythm monitoring is associated with a higher rate of AF detection following hospital discharge and may identify a patient subgroup who might benefit from anticoagulation therapy.Table 1Figure 1

Association of Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate Trajectories with Atrial Fibrillation Risk in Populations with Normal or Mildly Impaired Renal Function

Introduction: The association between the longitudinal patterns of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and risk of atrial fibrillation (AF) in populations with normal or mildly impaired renal function is not well-characterized. We sought to explore the eGFR trajectories in populations with normal or mildly impaired renal function and their association with AF. Methods: This prospective cohort study included 62,407 participants who were free of AF, cardiovascular diseases, and moderate to severe renal insufficiency (eGFR <60 mL/min/1.73m2) before 2010. The eGFR trajectories were developed using latent mixture modeling based on examination data in 2006, 2008, and 2010. Incident AF cases were identified in biennial electrocardiogram assessment and a review of medical insurance data and discharge registers. We used Cox regression models to estimate the hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for incident AF. Results: According to survey results for the range and changing pattern of eGFR during 2006 to 2010, four trajectories were identified: high-stable (range, 107.47 to 110.25 mL/min/1.73m2; n=11,719), moderate-increasing (median increase from 83.83 to 100.37 mL/min/1.73m2; n=22,634), high-decreasing (median decrease from 101.72 to 89.10 mL/min/1.73m2; n=7,943), and low-stable (range, 73.48 to 76.78 mL/min/1.73m2; n=20,111). After an average follow-up of 9.63 years, a total of 485 cases of AF were identified. Compared with the high-stable trajectory, the adjusted hazard ratios of AF were 1.70 (95% CI, 1.09–2.66) for the moderate-increasing trajectory, 1.92 (95% CI, 1.18–3.13) for the high-decreasing trajectory, and 2.28 (95% CI, 1.46–3.56) for the low-stable trajectory. The results remained consistent across a number of sensitivity analyses. Conclusions: The trajectories of eGFR were associated with subsequent AF risk in populations with normal or mildly impaired renal function.

Sweetened Beverages, Genetic Susceptibility, and Incident Atrial Fibrillation: A Prospective Cohort Study.

An association between sweetened beverages and several cardiometabolic diseases has been reported, but their association with atrial fibrillation (AF) is unclear. We aimed to investigate the associations between consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB), artificially sweetened beverages (ASB), and pure fruit juice (PJ) and risk of consumption with AF risk and further evaluate whether genetic susceptibility modifies these associations. A total of 201 856 participants who were free of baseline AF, had genetic data available, and completed a 24-hour diet questionnaire were included. Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). During a median follow-up of 9.9 years, 9362 incident AF cases were documented. Compared with nonconsumers, individuals who consumed >2 L/wk of SSB or ASB had an increased risk of AF (HR, 1.10 [95% CI, 1.01-1.20] and HR, 1.20 [95% CI, 1.10-1.31]) in the multivariable-adjusted model. A negative association was observed between the consumption of ≤1 L/wk of PJ and the risk of AF (HR, 0.92 [95% CI, 0.87-0.97]). The highest HRs (95% CIs) of AF were observed for participants at high genetic risk who consumed >2 L/wk of ASB (HR, 3.51 [95% CI, 2.94-4.19]), and the lowest HR were observed for those at low genetic risk who consumed ≤1 L/wk of PJ (HR, 0.77 [95% CI, 0.65-0.92]). No significant interactions were observed between the consumption of SSB, ASB, or PJ and genetic predisposition to AF. Consumption of SSB and ASB at >2 L/wk was associated with an increased risk for AF. PJ consumption ≤1 L/wk was associated with a modestly lower risk for AF. The association between sweetened beverages and AF risk persisted after adjustment for genetic susceptibility to AF. This study does not demonstrate that consumption of SSB and ASB alters AF risk but rather that the consumption of SSB and ASB may predict AF risk beyond traditional risk factors.

High Dietary Intake of Iron Might Be Harmful to Atrial Fibrillation and Modified by Genetic Diversity: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Some studies suggest an association between iron overload and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). However, the relationship between dietary iron intake and atrial fibrillation (AF) remains uncertain, as does the role of genetic loci on this association. The study involved 179,565 participants from UK Biobank, tracking incident atrial fibrillation (AF) cases. Iron intake was categorized into low, moderate, and high groups based on dietary surveys conducted from 2009 to 2012. The Cox regression model was used to estimate the risk of AF in relation to iron intake, assessing the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI). It also examined the impact of 165 AF-related and 20 iron-related genetic variants on this association. Pathway enrichment analyses were performed using Metascape and FUMA. During a median follow-up period of 11.6 years, 6693 (3.97%) incident AF cases were recorded. A total of 35,874 (20.0%) participants had high iron intake. High iron intake was associated with increased risk of AF [HR: 1.13 (95% CI: 1.05, 1.22)] in a fully adjusted model. Importantly, there were 83 SNPs (11 iron-related SNPs) that could enhance the observed associations. These genes are mainly involved in cardiac development and cell signal transduction pathways. High dietary iron intake increases the risk of atrial fibrillation, especially when iron intake exceeds 16.95 mg. The association was particularly significant among the 83 SNPs associated with AF and iron, the individuals with these risk genes. Gene enrichment analysis revealed that these genes are significantly involved in cardiac development and cell signal transduction processes.

Atrial fibrillation and electronic healthcare records in UK Biobank: Relevance of ascertainment in primary and secondary care for risk factor associations and patient outcomes

Abstract Background Electronic health data have played a pivotal role in the development and success of large-scale biobanks, and have enabled a range of epidemiological studies with wide-ranging applications[1]. Hospital admissions (HA) data are often used to identify individuals with disease, but this may result in incomplete ascertainment for conditions such as atrial fibrillation (AF), which often does not require hospitalisation. Understanding ascertainment through primary care (PC) data is essential to determine the potential benefits and drawbacks of using difference data sources for AF ascertainment. Purpose To explore potential differences between AF cases identified from PC and HA data with respect to participant characteristics, timing of ascertainment, and AF-related sequelae. Methods UK Biobank is a large prospective study with PC and HA data available in 230,000 participants[2]. Incident AF cases were defined using a combination of Read clinical codes in PC data and ICD-10 diagnostic and OPCS-4 procedural codes in HA data. Individuals were divided into 3 groups representing whether AF was defined using PC records only (PC-only), hospital admissions only (HA-only), or both (PC+HA). Descriptive statistics and multinomial regression were used to describe differences between groups in terms of ascertainment timing, risk factor associations, and post-AF stroke and death. Results During a median follow-up of 7 years, 7,142 incident AF cases were identified: 22% through PC-only (1571 new cases), 30% through HA-only, and 48% via PC+HA. In the latter group, when AF was first identified through PC (3827), there was an average lag of 1.3 years before it was identified in HA data, but a 5-year lag in the opposite direction (Figure 1). The patterns of associations for baseline age, sex, BMI, smoking, blood pressure, and composite clinical risk (CHARGE-AF[3]) suggested little evidence of systematic differences between the groups (Figure 2). However, the associations of AF with baseline diabetes, heart failure, myocardial infarction, and an AF polygenic risk score[4] suggested HA-only cases had a higher prevalence of cardiometabolic comorbities, but lower overall genetic AF risk. Moreover, HA-only AF cases had similar rates of subsequent stroke but substantially higher rates of death (73.2 per 1000 person-years) compared to the PC-only and PC+HA groups (6.6 and 23.1, respectively). Conclusion PC data identifies 28% additional AF cases than HA alone in UK Biobank, with important implications for the power of epidemiological studies. The strength of associations between risk factors and AF varies by ascertainment source, as do the rates of AF-related sequelae, suggesting that further studies comparing treatment in different groups may be warranted. Furthermore, for AF identified in HA alone, improved consistency and timeliness of routine recording of AF in PC may have important implications for management and risk of sequelae.

Abstract 14572: Polypharmacy and Major Adverse Events in Atrial Fibrillation: Observations From the Korea National Health Insurance Service Data

Introduction: Previous evidence suggests that atrial fibrillation (AF) patients who receive polypharmacy are at an increased risk of experiencing adverse events. In this study, we investigated the prevalence of polypharmacy, identified risk factors associated with polypharmacy, and assessed the impact of polypharmacy on clinical outcomes in a ‘real-world’ data. Methods: We included 451,368 participants without AF (54[48.0-63.0] years; 207,748[46.0%] female) in the Korea National Health Insurance Service-Health Screening (NHIS-HealS) cohort from 2002 to 2013. All concomitant drugs were carefully collected and recorded. Polypharmacy was defined as the intake of ≥5 concomitant drugs. All-cause death, ischemic strokes/transient ischemic attacks (TIAs), major bleeding, heart failure admission were recorded. Results: With up to 7.7 (6.8-8.3) years of follow-up and 768,306 person-years, 12,241 incident AF cases occurred. Among included AF patients (40.0% females, 63.0[54.0-70.0] years), the prevalence of polypharmacy was 30.9 % (3,784). In new-onset AF, older age (per 10 increases, OR 1.32, 95% CI 1.26-1.40), hypertension (OR 4.00, 95 % CI 3.62-4.43), diabetes mellitus (OR 3.25, 95 % CI 2.86-3.70), COPD (OR 3.00, 95% CI 2.51-3.57), ischemic stroke/TIA (OR 2.36, 95% CI 2.03-2.73), dementia (OR 2.30, 95% CI 1.06-4.98), ESRD or CKD (OR 1.97, 95% CI 1.38-2.82), and heart failure (OR 1.95, 95% CI 1.69-2.26) were independently associated to the polypharmacy. Patients with polypharmacy showed significantly higher incidence and risk of major bleeding (aHR 1.26, 95% CI 1.12-1.41). All-cause mortality showed higher incidence, the risk was higher but not statistically significant (aHR 1.11, 95 % CI 0.99-1.24). The risks of stroke and heart failure admission were not changed by polypharmacy. Conclusions: In this “real world” nationwide AF cohort, polypharmacy was highly prevalent and conditioned worse prognosis due to its association with major bleeding events.

Association of predicted body composition with occurrence of atrial fibrillation.

Body mass index (BMI) is insufficient evidence as a risk factor for numerous health disorders. Body composition may be more appropriate for confirming the association with cardiovascular diseases, including atrial fibrillation (AF). This study aimed to examine the association between body composition and the occurrence of AF. A total of 2,673,108 participants (48.6% women) without AF at baseline from the Korean national health insurance data were included. Body composition including appendicular skeletal muscle mass, body fat mass, and lean body mass were indirectly measured through validated anthropometric prediction equations. The diagnosis of AF and comorbidities were defined. With a median of 9.5 (interquartile range 9.2-10.1) years' follow-up, 25,841 (0.96%) cases of incident AF were included. In multivariable analysis, higher appendicular skeletal muscle was related to low risk of AF [hazard ratio (HR) 0.829, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.753-0.912 for men (fifth quintile) and HR 0.888, 95% CI 0.792-0.995 for women (fifth quintile)]. In contrast, a higher body fat mass [HR 1.345, 95% CI 1.221-1.483 for men (fifth quintile) and HR 1.420, 95% CI 1.274-1.591 for women (fifth quintile)] and lean body mass [HR 2.241, 95% CI 2.182-2.303 for men (fifth quintile) and HR 1.516, 95% CI 1.368-1.667 for women (fifth quintile)] were associated with the occurrence of AF. In this study, body composition parameters were associated with the occurrence of AF. It should be noted that when appendicular skeletal muscle mass decreases and body fat mass and lean body mass increase, the risk of AF may be increased in general population except underweighted BMI group.

Kidney Function, Albuminuria, and Risk of Incident Atrial Fibrillation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Atrial fibrillation (AF) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) often coexist. However, it is not known whether CKD is an independent risk factor for incident AF. Therefore, we evaluated the association between markers of CKD, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and albuminuria, and incident AF. Systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies and randomized controlled trials (RCTs). & Study Populations: Participants with measurement of eGFR and/or albuminuria, not receiving dialysis. Cohort studies and RCTs reporting incident AF risk in adults according to eGFR and/or albuminuria. Age- or multivariate-adjusted risk ratios (RR) for incident AF were extracted from cohort studies, and RRs for each trial were derived from event data. RRs for incident AF were pooled using random-effects models. Thirty-eight studies involving 28,470,249 participants with 530,041 incident AF cases were included. Adjusted risk of incident AF was greater among participants with lower eGFR than those with higher eGFR (eGFR <60 vs. ≥60 mL/min/1.73 m2: RR 1.43, 95% CI 1.30 - 1.57; and eGFR <90 vs. ≥90 mL/min/1.73 m2: RR 1.42, 95% CI 1.26 - 1.60). Adjusted incident AF risk was greater among participants with albuminuria (any albuminuria vs. no albuminuria: RR 1.43, 95% CI 1.25 - 1.63; and moderately- to severely-increased albuminuria vs. normal to mildly-increased albuminuria: RR 1.64, 95% CI 1.31 - 2.06). Subgroup analyses showed an exposure-dependent association between CKD and incident AF with the risk increasing progressively at lower eGFR and higher albuminuria categories. Lack of patient-level data, interaction between eGFR and albuminuria could not be evaluated, possible ascertainment bias due to variation in the method of AF detection. Lower eGFR and higher albuminuria were independently associated with increased risk of incident AF. CKD should be regarded as an independent risk factor for incident AF.

N–6 fatty acid biomarkers and incident atrial fibrillation: an individual participant-level pooled analysis of 11 international prospective studies

BackgroundThe presence of atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with an over 2-fold increased risk of stroke, heart failure, and cardiovascular mortality. Long chain n–6 PUFAs have been suggested to have a variety of beneficial biologic effects that may reduce AF development; however, prior studies evaluating this relationship are limited. ObjectivesWe prospectively evaluated the association between circulating levels of linoleic acid (LA) and arachidonic acid (AA) with incident AF. MethodsWe used participant-level data from a global consortium of 11 prospective cohort studies with measurements of LA and AA in adults (aged ≥18 y). Participating studies conducted de novo analyses using a prespecified analytical plan with harmonized definitions for exposures, outcomes, covariates, and subgroups. Associations were pooled using inverse-variance weighted meta-analysis. ResultsAmong 41,335 participants, 6173 incident cases of AF were ascertained, with median follow-up time of 14 y. In multivariable analysis, per interquintile range (difference between the 10th and 90th percentiles for each fatty acid), circulating n–6 levels were not associated with incident AF. For LA, the hazard ratio per interquintile range was 0.96 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.89, 1.04), and for AA, 1.02 (95% CI: 0.94, 1.10), with little evidence of heterogeneity between cohorts. Associations were similarly nonsignificant across subgroups of age, race, and biomarker fraction. ConclusionsBiomarkers of n–6 fatty acids including LA and AA are not associated with incident AF. These findings suggest that overall effects of n–6 PUFAs on influencing AF development are neutral.

Acquired risk factors and incident atrial fibrillation according to age and genetic predisposition.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained arrhythmia in adults. Investigations of risk factor profiles for AF according to age and genetic risk groups are essential to promote individualized strategies for the prevention and control of AF. A total of 409 661 participants (mean age, 56 years; 46% men) free of AF at baseline and with complete information about risk factors were included from the UK Biobank cohort. The hazard ratios and population-attributable risk (PAR) percentages of incident AF associated with 23 risk factors were examined, including 3 social factors, 7 health behaviours, 6 cardiometabolic factors, 6 clinical comorbidities, and the genetic risk score (GRS), across 3 age groups (40-49, 50-59, and 60-69 years) and 3 genetic risk groups (low, moderate, and high GRS). After a follow-up of 5 027 587 person-years, 23 847 participants developed AF. Most cardiometabolic factors and clinical comorbidities showed a significant interaction with age, whereby the associations were generally strengthened in younger groups (Pinteraction < .002). However, only low LDL cholesterol, renal dysfunction, and cardiovascular disease showed a significant interaction with genetic risk, and the associations with these factors were stronger in lower genetic risk groups (Pinteraction < .002). Cardiometabolic factors consistently accounted for the largest number of incident AF cases across all age groups (PAR: 36.2%-38.9%) and genetic risk groups (34.0%-41.9%), with hypertension and overweight/obesity being the two leading modifiable factors. Health behaviours (PAR: 11.5% vs. 8.7%) and genetic risk factors (19.1% vs. 14.3%) contributed to more AF cases in the 40-49 years group than in the 60-69 years group, while the contribution of clinical comorbidities remained relatively stable across different age groups. The AF risk attributable to overall cardiometabolic factors (PAR: 41.9% in the low genetic risk group and 34.0% in the high genetic risk group) and clinical comorbidities (24.7% and 15.9%) decreased with increasing genetic risk. The impact of social factors on AF was relatively low across the groups by age and genetic risk. This study provided comprehensive information about age- and genetic predisposition-related risk factor profiles for AF in a cohort of UK adults. Prioritizing risk factors according to age and genetic risk stratifications may help to achieve precise and efficient prevention of AF.

Association Between Insomnia, Stress Events, and Other Psychosocial Factors and Incident Atrial Fibrillation in Postmenopausal Women: Insights From the Women's Health Initiative.

Background The association between psychosocial factors and atrial fibrillation (AF) is poorly understood. Methods and Results Postmenopausal women from the Women's Health Initiative were retrospectively analyzed to identify incident AF in relation to a panel of validated psychosocial exposure variables, as assessed by multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression and hierarchical cluster analysis. Among the 83 736 women included, the average age was 63.9±7.0 years. Over an average of 10.5±6.2 years follow-up, there were 23 954 cases of incident AF. Hierarchical cluster analysis generated 2 clusters of highly correlated psychosocial variables: the Stress Cluster included stressful life events, depressive symptoms, and insomnia, and the Strain Cluster included optimism, social support, social strain, cynical hostility, and emotional expressiveness. Incident AF was associated with higher values in the Stress Cluster (hazard ratio [HR], 1.07 per unit cluster score [95% CI, 1.05-1.09]) and the Strain Cluster (HR, 1.03 per unit cluster score [95% CI, 1.00-1.05]). Of the 8 individual psychosocial predictors that were tested, insomnia (HR, 1.04 [95% CI, 1.03-1.06]) and stressful life events (HR, 1.02 [95% CI, 1.01-1.04]) were most strongly associated with increased incidence of AF in Cox regression analysis after multivariate adjustment. Subgroup analyses showed that the Strain Cluster was more strongly associated with incident AF in those with lower traditional AF risks (P for interaction=0.02) as determined by the cohorts for heart and aging research in genomic epidemiology for atrial fibrillation score. Conclusions Among postmenopausal women, 2 clusters of psychosocial stressors were found to be significantly associated with incident AF. Further research is needed to validate these associations.

Association of hypertension severity and control with risk of incident atrial fibrillation: The REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study.

The association of hypertension (HTN) severity and control with the risk of incident atrial fibrillation (AF) is unclear. Increased HTN severity and poorer blood pressure control would be associated with an increased risk of incident AF. This analysis included 9485 participants (mean age 63 ± 8 years; 56% women; 35% Black). Participants were stratified into six mutually exclusive groups at baseline-normotension (n = 1629), prehypertension (n = 704), controlled HTN (n = 2224), uncontrolled HTN (n = 4123), controlled apparent treatment-resistant hypertension (aTRH) (n = 88), and uncontrolled aTRH (n = 717). Incident AF was ascertained at the follow-up visit, defined by either electrocardiogram or self-reported medical history of a physician diagnosis. Multivariable logistic regression analyses adjusted for demographic and clinical variables. Over an average of 9.3 years later, 868 incident AF cases were detected. Compared to those with normotension, incident AF risk was highest for those with aTRH (controlled aTRH: odds ratio (OR) 2.95; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.60, 5.43, & uncontrolled aTRH: OR 2.47; 95% CI 1.76, 3.48). The increase in AF risk was smaller for those on no more than three antihypertensive agents regardless of their blood pressure control (controlled OR 1.72; 95% CI 1.30, 2.29 and uncontrolled OR 1.56; 95% CI 1.14, 2.13). The risk of developing AF is increased in all individuals with HTN. Risk is highest in those aTRH regardless of blood pressure control. A more aggressive approach that focuses on lifestyle and pharmacologic measures to either prevent HTN or better control HTN during earlier stages may be particularly beneficial in reducing related AF risk.

Associations of Life’s Essential 8 and fine particulate matter pollution with the incidence of atrial fibrillation

Both unhealthy lifestyle factors and ambient air pollution have been closely linked with the risk of atrial fibrillation (AF). We retrieved 250,898 participants without AF at baseline from UK Biobank. LE8 was determined by 8 metrics, and was characterized as low, moderate and high cardiovascular health (CVH). Exposure to PM2.5 was estimated at the geocoded residential address of each participant. During a median follow-up of 12.46 years, we identified 14,743 (5.9%) incident AF cases. Participants with moderate and high CVH showed a decreased risk of incident AF compared to those with low CVH. Of the LE8 metrics, ideal body mass index (BMI) and blood pressure (BP) were associated with a decrease of 11.57% and 11.46% AF cases. High PM2.5 exposure was associated with an 8% increased risk of AF as compared to low PM2.5 exposure. Compared with those who had low CVH and high PM2.5 exposure, participants with a high CVH and low PM2.5 exposure had the lower AF incidence. Our study found higher CVH is protective, while higher PM2.5 might be one risk factor of AF. Adherence to the LE8 guidelines may help reduce the incidence of AF, especially in those with lower PM2.5 exposure.

Associations of dietary patterns, ultra-processed food and nutrient intake with incident atrial fibrillation

ObjectiveTo examine the associations between specific dietary patterns and incident atrial fibrillation (AF).MethodsUsing data from the UK Biobank, dietary intakes were calculated from 24-hour diet recall questionnaires. Indices representing adherence...

Omega-3 Fatty Acid Biomarkers and Incident Atrial Fibrillation

BackgroundThe relationship between omega-3 fatty acids and atrial fibrillation (AF) remains controversial. ObjectivesThis study aimed to determine the prospective associations of blood or adipose tissue levels of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosapentaenoic acid (DPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) with incident AF. MethodsWe used participant-level data from a global consortium of 17 prospective cohort studies, each with baseline data on blood or adipose tissue omega-3 fatty acid levels and AF outcomes. Each participating study conducted a de novo analyses using a prespecified analytical plan with harmonized definitions for exposures, outcome, covariates, and subgroups. Associations were pooled using inverse-variance weighted meta-analysis. ResultsAmong 54,799 participants from 17 cohorts, 7,720 incident cases of AF were ascertained after a median 13.3 years of follow-up. In multivariable analysis, EPA levels were not associated with incident AF, HR per interquintile range (ie, the difference between the 90th and 10th percentiles) was 1.00 (95% CI: 0.95-1.05). HRs for higher levels of DPA, DHA, and EPA+DHA, were 0.89 (95% CI: 0.83-0.95), 0.90 (95% CI: 0.85-0.96), and 0.93 (95% CI: 0.87-0.99), respectively. ConclusionsIn vivo levels of omega-3 fatty acids including EPA, DPA, DHA, and EPA+DHA were not associated with increased risk of incident AF. Our data suggest the safety of habitual dietary intakes of omega-3 fatty acids with respect to AF risk. Coupled with the known benefits of these fatty acids in the prevention of adverse coronary events, our study suggests that current dietary guidelines recommending fish/omega-3 fatty acid consumption can be maintained.

Electrocardiographic parameters and the risk of new-onset atrial fibrillation in the general population: the Rotterdam Study.

We aimed to assess the (shape of the) association and sex differences in the link between electrocardiographic parameters and new-onset atrial fibrillation (AF). A total of 12 212 participants free of AF at baseline from the population-based Rotterdam Study were included. Up to five repeated measurements of electrocardiographic parameters including PR, QRS, QT, QT corrected for heart rate (QTc), JT, RR interval, and heart rate were assessed at baseline and follow-up examinations. Cox proportional hazards- and joint models, adjusted for cardiovascular risk factors, were used to determine the (shape of the) association between baseline and longitudinal electrocardiographic parameters with new-onset AF. Additionally, we evaluated potential sex differences. During a median follow-up of 9.3 years, 1282 incident AF cases occurred among 12 212 participants (mean age 64.9 years, 58.2% women). Penalized cubic splines revealed that associations between baseline electrocardiographic measures and risk of new-onset AF were generally U- and N-shaped. Sex differences in terms of the shape of the various associations were most apparent for baseline PR, QT, QTc, RR interval, and heart rate in relation to new-onset AF. Longitudinal measures of higher PR interval [fully adjusted hazard ratio (HR), 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.43, 1.02-2.04, P = 0.0393] and higher QTc interval (fully adjusted HR, 95% CI, 5.23, 2.18-12.45, P = 0.0002) were significantly associated with new-onset AF, in particular in men. Associations of baseline electrocardiographic measures and risk of new-onset AF were mostly U- and N-shaped. Longitudinal electrocardiographic measures of PR and QTc interval were significantly associated with new-onset AF, in particular among men.

Prevalence and Incidence of Atrial Fibrillation in Heart Failure with Mildly Reduced or Preserved Ejection Fraction: (Additive) Value of Implantable Loop Recorders.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is common in heart failure with mildly reduced or preserved ejection fraction (HFmrEF/HFpEF) and has a negative impact on outcome. Reliable data on prevalence, incidence, and detection of AF from contemporary, prospective HFmrEF/HFpEF studies are scarce. This was a prespecified sub-analysis from a prospective, multicenter study. Patients with HFmrEF/HFpEF underwent 12-lead electrocardiography (ECG), 24 h Holter monitoring, and received an implantable loop recorder (ILR) at the study start. During the 2 year follow-up, rhythm monitoring was performed via ILR, yearly ECG, and two yearly 24 h Holter monitors. A total of 113 patients were included (mean age 73 ± 8 years, 75% HFpEF). At baseline, 70 patients (62%) had a diagnosis of AF: 21 paroxysmal, 18 persistent, and 31 permanent AF. At study start, 45 patients were in AF. Of the 43 patients without a history of AF, 19 developed incident AF during a median follow-up of 23 [15-25] months (44%; incidence rate 27.1 (95% confidence interval 16.3-42.4) per 100 person-years). Thus, after the 2-year follow-up, 89 patients (79%) had a diagnosis of AF. In 11/19 incident AF cases (i.e., 58%), AF was solely detected on the ILR. Yearly 12-lead ECG detected six incident AF cases and four of these cases were also detected on two yearly 24 h Holter monitors. Two incident AF cases were detected on an unplanned ECG/Holter. Atrial fibrillation is extremely common in heart failure with HFmrEF/HFpEF and may inform on symptom evaluation and treatment options. AF screening with an ILR had a much higher diagnostic yield than conventional modalities.

Daytime napping and the risk of atrial fibrillation in the SUN cohort

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: Public grant(s) – EU funding. Main funding source(s): European Regional Development Fund (FEDER) and Spanish Ministry of Health. Introduction Previous research has identified a potential relationship between sleep patterns and atrial fibrillation (AF). Short daytime napping is a widespread healthy habit particularly in Mediterranean countries. However, as far as we know, daytime napping and the risk of developing AF has not been analysed before. Purpose Our objective was to assess the association between daytime napping and the incidence of AF in a Mediterranean cohort. Methods The SUN project is a dynamic, prospective cohort of Spanish university graduates. A total of 20,348 participants, free of AF at baseline, were followed-up for a median time of 13.8 years, with a retention proportion of 91%. Daytime napping was assessed at baseline and participants were categorised according to their average daily napping time. Incident cases of AF were confirmed by a cardiologist according to a prespecified protocol. Multivariable Cox regression models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) of AF according to daytime napping time. Results During follow-up, we identified 131 incident cases of AF. In comparison to participants with short daytime napping (&amp;lt;30 minutes/day), those who slept ≥30 minutes/day exhibited a significant 90% higher relative risk of incident AF (adjusted HR= 1.90; 95% CI: 1.26, 2.86), whereas no significant risk was observed for participants who did not have nap (adjusted HR = 1.26; 95% CI: 0.82, 1.93). After excluding participants that reported not having nap, those with shorter daytime napping had a lower risk of developing AF, with the greatest risk reduction between 15-30 minutes/day (adjusted HR = 0.44; 95% CI: 0.27, 0.72), in comparison to sleeping &amp;gt;30 minutes/day. Conclusions Daytime napping was significantly associated with the risk of developing AF. Sleeping a longer nap (≥30 minutes/day) was associated with an increased risk, while a shorter nap between 15-30 minutes/day was associated with a lower risk of incident AF. These findings suggest a potential novel healthy lifestyle habit in the primary prevention of AF.

Associations of dietary patterns with risk of incident atrial fibrillation in the REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS)

BackgroundWe examined whether the risk of incident atrial fibrillation (AF) in a large, biracial, prospective cohort is lower in participants who adhere to heart-healthy dietary patterns and higher in participants who adhere to less heart-healthy diets.MethodsBetween 2003 and 2007, the REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) cohort study enrolled 30,239 Black and White Americans aged 45 years or older. Dietary patterns (convenience, plant-based, sweets, Southern, and alcohol and salads) and the Mediterranean diet score (MDS) were derived based on food frequency questionnaire data. The primary outcome was incident AF at the follow-up visit 2013–2016, defined by either electrocardiogram or self-reported medical history of a physician diagnosis.ResultsThis study included 8977 participants (mean age 63 ± 8.3 years; 56% women; 30% Black) free of AF at baseline who completed the follow-up exam an average of 9.4 years later. A total of 782 incident AF cases were detected. In multivariable logistic regression analyses, neither the MDS score (odds ratio (OR) per SD increment = 1.03; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.95–1.11) or the plant-based dietary pattern (OR per SD increment = 1.03; 95% CI 0.94–1.12) were associated with AF risk. Additionally, an increased AF risk was not associated with any of the less-healthy dietary patterns.ConclusionsWhile specific dietary patterns have been associated with AF risk factors, our findings fail to show an association between diet patterns and AF development.

Interrelations between albuminuria, electrocardiographic left atrial abnormality, and incident atrial fibrillation in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) cohort

BackgroundThe objective of the study was to examine the joint associations of albuminuria and electrocardiographic left atrial abnormality (ECG-LAA) with incident atrial fibrillation (AF) and whether this relationship varies by race. MethodsThis analysis included 6670 participants free of clinical cardiovascular disease (CVD), including atrial fibrillation (AF), from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis. ECG-LAA was defined as P-wave terminal force in V1 [PTFV1] >5000 μV × ms. Albuminuria was defined as urine albumin-creatinine ratio (UACR) ≥30 mg/g. Incident AF events through 2015 were ascertained from hospital discharge records and study-scheduled electrocardiograms. Cox proportional hazard models were used to examine the association of “no albuminuria + no ECG-LAA (reference)”, “isolated albuminuria”, “isolated ECG-LAA” and “albuminuria + ECG-LAA” with incident AF. ResultsOver a median follow-up of 13.8 years, 979 incident cases of AF occurred. In adjusted models, the concomitant presence of ECG-LAA and albuminuria was associated with a higher risk of AF than either ECG-LAA or albuminuria in isolation (HR (95% CI): 2.43 (1.65–3.58), 1.33 (1.05–1.69), and 1.55 (1.27–1.88), respectively (interaction p-value = 0.50). Effect modification by race was observed with a 4-fold greater AF risk in Black participants with albuminuria + ECG-LAA (HR (95%CI): 4.37 (2.38–8.01) but no significant association in White participants (HR (95% CI) 0.60 (0.19–1.92) respectively; (interaction p-value for race x albuminuria-ECG-LAA combination = 0.05). ConclusionsConcomitant presence of ECG-LAA and albuminuria confers a higher risk of AF compared to either one in isolation with a stronger association in Blacks than Whites.