Shorter coupling intervals of supraventricular arrhythmias were associated with an increased risk of incident atrial fibrillation over 7 years (adjusted HR 0.87; 95% CI 0.81-0.93; p<0.05).
Cohort (n=6,145)
Do specific characteristics of premature atrial contractions, such as shorter coupling intervals and nSVTs, increase the risk of incident atrial fibrillation in older individuals?
In older individuals, the presence of non-sustained supraventricular tachycardias and premature atrial contractions with shorter coupling intervals are strong predictors of incident atrial fibrillation.
Hazard Ratio: 0.87 (95% CI 0.81–0.93)
p-value: p=<0.05
Background Atrial fibrillation (AF) is common in the elderly population. Premature atrial contractions and non-sustained supraventricular tachycardias are more common among individuals at higher risk of incident AF. Objective The aim of this study was to systematically evaluate a range of premature atrial complexes and their characteristics including the degree of prematurity and coupling interval to determine how individual characteristics of premature atrial contractions are associated with future AF risk. Methods Repeated 30-second one-lead ECG recordings were analyzed from participants in the STROKESTOP I study. Premature atrial contractions and non-sustained supraventricular tachycardias (nSVTs) were identified and the characteristics of each premature atrial contraction, including the degree of prematurity and coupling interval, were analyzed. Patients were subsequently followed for a total of 7 years using national health registries to determine who developed incident AF. Results In total, 6 145 participants were included. Among these, 740 (12.0%) developed AF during a follow-up of 7.0 years based on national patient registry data. Supraventricular arrhythmias, including premature atrial contractions, were common and more frequently found among individuals who developed AF (71.08% vs 51.21%, p <0.05). Incident AF risk was highest for participants with nSVTs (adjusted hazard ratio (HR) 4.70, 95% CI 3.43-6.43). A shorter coupling interval of any arrhythmia was associated with an increased risk of incident AF, with an adjusted HR of 0.87 (0.81-0.93), p <0.05 Conclusion Supraventricular arrhythmias are frequent in older individuals and are associated with incident AF. Increasing prematurity of premature atrial contractions is associated with future AF risk.
Khan et al. (Wed,) conducted a cohort in Atrial fibrillation (n=6,145). Shorter coupling interval of supraventricular arrhythmias vs. Longer coupling interval was evaluated on Incident atrial fibrillation (HR 0.87, 95% CI 0.81-0.93, p=<0.05). Shorter coupling intervals of supraventricular arrhythmias were associated with an increased risk of incident atrial fibrillation over 7 years (adjusted HR 0.87; 95% CI 0.81-0.93; p<0.05).
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