Atrial fibrillation was associated with a significantly increased risk of ventricular arrhythmias and cardiac arrest compared to patients without AF (adjusted HR 1.167; 95% CI 1.111-1.226).
Cohort (n=3,345,638)
Yes
Does atrial fibrillation increase the risk of ventricular arrhythmias and cardiac arrest in hospitalised patients?
In a large nationwide cohort, atrial fibrillation was independently associated with an increased risk of ventricular arrhythmias and cardiac arrest.
Effect estimate: HR 3.657 (95% CI 3.604-3.711)
Absolute Event Rate: 2.23% vs 0.56%
Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) has been linked to an increased risk of ventricular arrhythmias (VAs) and sudden death. We investigated this association in hospitalised patients in France. Methods: All hospitalised patients from 2013 were identified from the French National database and included if they had at least 5 years of follow-up data. Results: Overall, 3,381,472 patients were identified. After excluding 35,834 with a history of VAs and cardiac arrest, 3,345,638 patients were categorised into two groups: no AF (n = 3,033,412; mean age 57.2 ± 21.4; 54.3% female) and AF (n = 312,226; 78.1 ± 10.6; 44.0% female). Over a median follow-up period of 5.4 years (interquartile range (IQR) 5.0–5.8 years), the incidence (2.23%/year vs. 0.56%/year) and risk (hazard ratio (HR) 3.657 (95% confidence interval (CI) 3.604–3.711)) of VAs and cardiac arrest were significantly higher in AF patients compared to non-AF patients. This was still significant after adjusting for confounders, with a HR of 1.167 (95% CI 1.111–1.226) and in the 1:1 propensity score-matched analysis (n = 289,332 per group), with a HR of 1.339 (95% CI 1.313–1.366). In the mediation analysis, the odds of cardiac arrest were significantly mediated by AF-associated VAs, with an OR of 1.041 (95% CI 1.040–1.042). Conclusion: In hospitalised French patients, AF was associated with an increased risk of VAs and sudden death.
Fawzy et al. (Mon,) conducted a cohort in Atrial fibrillation (n=3,345,638). Atrial fibrillation vs. No atrial fibrillation was evaluated on Ventricular arrhythmias and cardiac arrest (HR 3.657, 95% CI 3.604-3.711). Atrial fibrillation was associated with a significantly increased risk of ventricular arrhythmias and cardiac arrest compared to patients without AF (adjusted HR 1.167; 95% CI 1.111-1.226).