The Prevalence and Clinical Characteristics of Atrial Fibrillation and Reflux Esophagitis Among Individuals Undergoing Health Checkups

Objective To examine the association between atrial fibrillation (AF) and reflux esophagitis (RE). Methods A total of 5,205 adults (3,262 men, 1,943 women; mean age, 54.9±9.8 years) who underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) as part of a routine health checkup were enrolled in this study. AF was defined as AF detected on electrocardiography during the checkup and/or a documented history of the condition. RE was assessed endoscopically according to the Los Angeles classification. The smoking history, habitual alcohol consumption, and use of acid-suppressive agents were also assessed. Results AF was observed in 36 participants (0.7%). Compared with those without AF, participants with AF were more likely to be male, older, have a higher body mass index, and have a history of smoking and acid-suppressive agent use. After excluding participants receiving acid-suppressive medications, RE was significantly more prevalent in patients with AF than in those without AF (39.1% vs. 22.0%, p=0.049). The prevalence of AF was 0.9% among patients with RE and 0.4% among those without RE. However, multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that RE was not independently associated with AF after adjusting for sex, age, and other clinical factors. Conclusion AF may be associated with RE in individuals undergoing routine health checkups. However, this association was attenuated after adjustment for sex, age, and other clinical factors, suggesting that it may be largely explained by shared confounding factors.