Characteristics of hospitalized patients with atrial fibrillation in Taiwan: a nationwide observation

Surgical volume and outcomes of surgical ablation for atrial fibrillation: a nationwide population-based cohort study

BACKGROUND

Atrial fibrillation is the most common cardiac arrythmia and causes many complications. Sinus rhythm restoration could reduce late mortality of atrial fibrillation patients. The Maze procedure is the gold standard for surgical ablation of atrial fibrillation. Higher surgical volume has been documented with favorable outcomes of various cardiac procedures such as mitral valve surgery and aortic valve replacement. We aimed to determine the volume-outcome relationship (i.e., association between surgical volume and outcomes) for the concomitant Maze procedure during major cardiac surgeries.

METHODS

This nationwide population-based cohort study retrieved data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. Adult patients undergoing concomitant Maze procedures during 2010-2017 were identified; consequently, 2666 patients were classified into four subgroups based on hospital cumulative surgery volumes. In-hospital outcomes and late outcomes during follow-up were analyzed. Logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards model were used to analyze the volume-outcome relationship.

RESULTS

Patients undergoing Maze procedures at lower-volume hospitals tended to be frailer and had higher comorbidity scores. Patients in the highest-volume hospitals had a lower risk of in-hospital mortality than those in the lowest-volume hospitals [adjusted odds ratio, 0.30; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.15-0.61; P < 0.001]. Patients in the highest-volume hospitals had lower rates of late mortality than those in the lowest-volume hospitals, including all-cause mortality [adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) 0.53; 95% CI 0.40-0.68; P < 0.001] and all-cause mortality after discharge (aHR 0.60; 95% CI 0.44-0.80; P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

A positive hospital volume-outcome relationship for concomitant Maze procedures was demonstrated for in-hospital and late follow-up mortality. The consequence may be attributed to physician skill/experience, experienced multidisciplinary teams, and comprehensive care processes. We suggest referring patients with frailty or those requiring complicated cardiac surgeries to high-volume hospitals to improve clinical outcomes.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

the institutional review board of Chang Gung Memorial Hospital approved all data usage and the study protocol (registration number: 202100151B0C502).

The Chinese burden of atrial fibrillation review of atrial fibrillation studies in China

BACKGROUND

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is one of the most common heart rate disorders, but most relevant studies are mainly focused on Europe and The United States, while information about AF in the Chinese population is scarce. The purpose of this study was to provide a review of the literature on atrial fibrillation in China.

METHODS

A literature search (Medline 2001-2021) identified studies reporting the prevalence or incidence of AF, risk factors for AF, comorbidities of AF, and use of antithrombotic therapy in China. This report focuses on descriptive analytical data.

RESULTS

Studies reported a wide variation in the prevalence of AF, with a range of community-based and hospital-based AF rates (from 0.49% to 8.8% and 4.4% to 35.7%). Aspirin and warfarin use was found to be particularly low in community-based studies in China, and warfarin and amiodarone use was higher in hospital-based studies than in other countries. Stroke is the most common complication of atrial fibrillation.

CONCLUSIONS

More high-quality studies are needed to improve our understanding of the burden of atrial fibrillation in China. Efforts should be made to improve community delivery and monitoring of antithrombotic therapy after AF. Due to China's large population, the number of patients with untreated AF and the risk of accompanying complications can be high, so the impact on healthcare resources can be significant.

Clinical Events with Edoxaban in South Korean and Taiwanese Atrial Fibrillation Patients in Routine Clinical Practice

Edoxaban is approved for stroke prevention in nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (AF) patients in numerous countries. Outcome data are sparse on edoxaban treatment in AF patients from routine clinical practice, especially in Asian patients. Global ETNA (Edoxaban in rouTine cliNical prActice) is a noninterventional study that integrates data from patients from multiple regional registries into one database. Here, we report the 1-year clinical events from AF patients receiving edoxaban in South Korea and Taiwan. Clinical events assessed included bleeding, strokes, systemic embolic events, transient ischemic attacks (TIAs), and all-cause and cardiovascular death. Overall, 2677 patients (mean (range) age 72 (66–78) years, male 59.7%, mean CHA₂DS₂-VASc score ± standard deviation 3.1 ± 1.4) were treated with 60 or 30 mg edoxaban and had 1-year follow-up data. The annualized event rates for major bleeding and clinically relevant non-major (CRNM) bleeding were 0.78% and 0.47%, respectively. Annualized event rates for ischemic stroke and hemorrhagic stroke were 0.90% and 0.19%, respectively. Event rates for major and CRNM bleeding and rates of ischemic stroke and TIA were higher in Taiwanese patients than in Korean patients. Event rates were low and similar to those found in other studies of edoxaban in Korean and Taiwanese AF patients, thus supporting the safety and effectiveness of edoxaban in this population.

Rationale and design of a prospective, multicenter, cross-sectional study of appropriateness evaluation of the prescription of non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants for Chinese atrial fibrillation patients (Chi-NOACs-AF trial)

BACKGROUND

Non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) are alternative to vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) for stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Along with their widespread clinical use in China, the off-label use of NOACs is commonly seen in real-world practice, which could result in adverse drug events and poor clinical outcomes. However, guideline adherence and label adherence for NOAC prescriptions have not been well evaluated in a real-world setting in China.

METHODS

Between January 2021 and June 2021, a total of 1,750 outpatients or inpatients with AF will be consecutively enrolled at 26 canters in China. Data on patient demographics, clinical characteristics, treatment strategies, and prescribing information related to anticoagulation therapy for patients with AF will be collected. Clinical pharmacists will evaluate the rationality of the anticoagulation regimens and NOAC prescriptions based on the guideline recommendations and drug labels that are approved by the National Medical Products Administration. The primary outcomes will be the prevalence of irrational anticoagulation strategies and the inappropriate NOAC prescriptions, as well as potential risk factors associated with inappropriate prescriptions in patients with AF.

DISCUSSION

This study will be the first national, multicenter, prospective study performed by pharmacists to explore real-world data on the appropriateness of NOAC prescription in Chinese patients with AF.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

The Chi-NOACs-AF trial (Trial number: ChiCTR2000035908).

Hypertension in middle eastern arab and south asian patients with atrial fibrillation: From a 20-year hospital registry in Qatar (1990-2010)

Background:

The vast majority of literature on atrial fibrillation (AF) is based on studies from the developed world that mainly includes Caucasian patients. Data on AF in other ethnicities is very limited. The aim of this hospital-based study is to evaluate the effect of concomitant hypertension (HTN) on the characteristics and outcomes of Middle Eastern Arab and South Asian patients with AF in the state of Qatar.

Materials and Methods and Results:

During the 20-year period, 3850 AF patients were hospitalized; 1483 (38.5%) had HTN, and 2367 (61.5%) without HTN. Patients with HTN were 11 years older, compared to non-HTN patients, and had a significantly higher prevalence of diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease, and dyslipidemia, compared to non-HTN patients. Furthermore, underlying coronary artery disease and heart failure were significantly more common but not valvular and rheumatic heart diseases which were more common in those without HTN. The rates of in-hospital mortality and stroke were significantly higher in the presence of HTN (5.3% versus 3.5%, and 0.7% versus 0.2% respectively, P = 0.001), compared to non-HTN patients.

Conclusions:

HTN is significantly associated with more comorbidities and worse clinical outcomes when it coexists with AF in hospitalized Middle Eastern Arab and South Asian patients.

Modelling projections for the risks related with atrial fibrillation in East Asia: a focus on ischaemic stroke and death

Aims

In the Far East, there has generally been low uptake of oral anticoagulants (OACs) using vitamin K antagonists (VKA, e.g. warfarin) for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation (AF), but OAC use has been increasing more recently, with the introduction of the non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs). To explore the risks of ischaemic stroke (IS) and death related to AF in East Asia using modelling projections.

Methods and results

We performed a modelling analysis of possible trends of IS and death rates in AF patients from the time period of only VKA use to current increasing trends of NOAC use projecting until 2050 in East Asia. Data from published articles on the prevalence of AF, IS, and death were used to model estimated event rates. In 2030, the estimated AF population in East Asia will be 608 100, with the use of NOACs leading to a reduction of 82 259 ISs and 16 917 deaths. There was an estimated annual risk reduction of 5484 ISs and 1128 deaths from 2016 to 2030, respectively. The AF population is estimated to reach 861 900 in 2050, with a reduction of 206 315 ISs and 139 353 deaths.

Conclusion

This modelling analysis suggests that the transition from VKA to NOACs may greatly help in reducing the burden of IS and death caused by AF in the East Asian region.

Management of dental extractions in patients on warfarin and antiplatelet therapy

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE

Planning dental extractions for Taiwanese patients on antithrombotic therapy remains controversial. This study aimed to examine management of dental extraction in patients on warfarin and antiplatelet therapy.

METHODS

Subjects comprised 1331 patients, with (1) 60 on warfarin with intentional normalized ratio (INR) below 4.0 (warfarin continued: 28 patients/33 occasions; warfarin stopped and switched to heparin under hospitalization: 32 patients/37 occasions); (2) 183 on antiplatelet therapy (aspirin: 125 patients/185 occasions; clopidogrel: 42 patients/65 occasions; dual therapy: 16 patients/24 occasions); and (3) a control group of 1088 patients/1472 occasions without any antithrombotic therapy. The patient's clinico-demographic parameters, warfarin effectiveness (dose and INR levels) and antiplatelet therapy, number and type of dental extraction and incidence of postoperative bleeding were investigated.

RESULTS

Incidence of postoperative bleeding in the warfarinized group (warfarin continued: 9.1%; warfarin stopped: 8.1%) was higher than in the antiplatelet group (aspirin: 1.1%; clopidogrel: 3.1%; dual antiplatelet: 4.2%), and the control group (0.7%), but these differences were not significant and unrelated to INR or number and type of dental extraction. Postoperative hemorrhage was managed successfully by repacking with Gelfoam impregnated with tranexamic acid powder in most patients.

CONCLUSION

The study indicated that there is no need to interrupt warfarin (INR<4.0) and antiplatelet therapy before dental extractions in Taiwanese patients. A sufficient hemostasis could be obtained using local measures. This approach can save these individuals from becoming exposed to the risk of thromboembolism and the inconvenience of bridging anticoagulation with heparin.

Optimal Thromboprophylaxis in Elderly Chinese Patients with Atrial Fibrillation (ChiOTEAF) registry: protocol for a prospective, observational nationwide cohort study

INTRODUCTION

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a worldwide healthcare burden that is associated with the ageing population. Elderly patients with AF with multiple comorbidities usually present with a high risk of thromboembolism and bleeding. Limited prospective data are available from Asian cohorts on the epidemiology and complications of AF. The present prospective cohort study aims to explore contemporary antithrombotic strategies among the elderly Chinese population in the new era of non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants and to compare the clinical characteristics and outcomes between Chinese and European AF populations.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

The Optimal Thromboprophylaxis in Elderly Chinese Patients with Atrial Fibrillation (ChiOTEAF) registry will recruit 5000 patients with AF over 65 years of age in China. AF-related risks, including stroke/systemic thromboembolism and bleeding outcomes, will be assessed. Medical history, risk factors, demographic information and management will be collected at baseline, and clinical events during 1 year follow-up will be recorded. Follow-up will be conducted for at least 1 year and then annually thereafter. As our registry has a common protocol to the European Society of Cardiology EURObservational Research Programme AF general registry programme, preplanned analyses comparing the clinical profiles and outcomes will be performed. The ChiOTEAF registry offers an opportunity to provide a better understanding of the clinical profiles and adverse outcomes of patients with AF in China and allow for comparisons with a contemporary European population.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Ethics approval was granted by the Central Medical Ethic Committee of Chinese PLA General Hospital (approval no S2014-065-01). The (inter)national research presentations, peer-reviewed publications and media coverage of the research will be sued for dissemination of the results.

Epidemiology of Atrial Fibrillation: The Australian and Asia-Pacific Perspective

The epidemic of atrial fibrillation (AF) is increasingly recognised as a growing health problem worldwide. Although epidemiological studies on AF in the Asia-Pacific region are scarce, given the increasing age and size of populations in this region, the burden of AF is expected to be far greater than in North America and Europe. This is not only due to the growing, ageing population but also an increased incidence of risk factors for AF, such as hypertension, obesity, metabolic syndrome and diabetes, in the Asia-Pacific region. While further, high quality data on such aspects as risk factors, racial disparities and clinical implications is urgently required, there is an immediate need for increased focus on appropriate stroke prophylaxis and risk factor management to minimise the clinical complications and societal burden of AF.

2016 Guidelines of the Taiwan Heart Rhythm Society and the Taiwan Society of Cardiology for the management of atrial fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained arrhythmia. Both the incidence and prevalence of AF are increasing, and the burden of AF is becoming huge. Many innovative advances have emerged in the past decade for the diagnosis and management of AF, including a new scoring system for the prediction of stroke and bleeding events, the introduction of non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants and their special benefits in Asians, new rhythm- and rate-control concepts, optimal endpoints of rate control, upstream therapy, life-style modification to prevent AF recurrence, and new ablation techniques. The Taiwan Heart Rhythm Society and the Taiwan Society of Cardiology aimed to update the information and have appointed a jointed writing committee for new AF guidelines. The writing committee members comprehensively reviewed and summarized the literature, and completed the 2016 Guidelines of the Taiwan Heart Rhythm Society and the Taiwan Society of Cardiology for the Management of Atrial Fibrillation. This guideline presents the details of the updated recommendations, along with their background and rationale, focusing on data unique for Asians. The guidelines are not mandatory, and members of the writing committee fully realize that treatment of AF should be individualized. The physician's decision remains most important in AF management.

Different Impacts of Atrial Fibrillation and Cardiac Premature Contractions on the Health-Related Quality of Life in Elderly People: The Yilan Study

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is currently recognized as one of the most common cardiac arrhythmias worldwide, with the increasing prevalence that has been estimated to be as high as 9% among the elderly. Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) has become an important patient-centered health outcome measurement, but the impacts created by AF and other arrhythmias with similar symptoms, such as frequent atrial and ventricular premature contractions (APCs and VPCs, defined as ≥ 3 beats/5 minutes), have not been extensively evaluated. The Yilan Study is a population-based community health survey, which in part aims to evaluate the prevalence and impacts of these arrhythmias on the HRQoL in a community dwelling elderly population. A total of 1,732 citizens from the Yilan, Taiwan, aged 65 years or older (45.8% male) were enrolled and visited at their homes, where HRQoL was measured utilizing the Short Form-12 Health Survey. Each participant's heart rhythm was recorded with an electrocardiographic monitor for 5 minutes. The results disclosed that the prevalence of AF of this aged population was 5.8%, similar to the mean global prevalence. Besides, the prevalence of frequent APCs and frequent VPCs in these elderly people were 7.1% and 5.5%, respectively. After multiple regression analysis, elderly people with AF had lower scores in the physical component of HRQoL, while those elderly people with frequent VPCs had lower scores in the mental component. Ultimately, these findings can provide additional useful and population-specific information about AF, and assist medical professionals in designing more effective strategies for cardiac arrhythmia treatments.

Hormone replacement therapy and risk of atrial fibrillation in Taiwanese menopause women: A nationwide cohort study

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is associated with risk of vascular disease. The association between atrial fibrillation (AF), vascular events, and different HRTs, including estradiol and conjugated equine estrogens (CEE), has been controversial in previous studies. Thus, we conducted a retrospective cohort study to investigate these associations. Female patients (>45 years old) first diagnosed with menopause were enrolled from National Health Insurance Research Dataset (1998–2008). Cox regression analysis estimated risk of new-onset AF, stroke, and major adverse cardiac events (MACE) after exposure to estradiol or CEE. Of 5489 females (mean age = 55 years) enrolled, 1815 treated with estradiol and 3674 treated with CEE. Incidence per 10³ person-years of AF, stroke, and MACE in CEE vs estradiol patients was 2.23 vs. 0.92, 14.0 vs. 9.09, and 15.55 vs. 10.47. As compared with patients treated with estradiol, those treated with CEE had a significantly higher incidence of AF, stroke, and MACE. The adjusted hazard ratios for each category were 1.96, 1.30, and 1.26, respectively. The significant results remained similar, even after use of propensity-score-matched strategy. In conclusion, CEE was associated with a higher risk of AF, stroke, and MACE than estradiol in menopausal females. Further exploration of underlying mechanisms is necessary.

Dental extraction without stopping single or dual antiplatelet therapy: results of a retrospective cohort study

The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence of bleeding after dental extraction without stopping antiplatelet therapy. Postoperative bleeding was assessed in a total of 1271 patients who were divided into two groups: a study group comprising 183 patients on antiplatelet therapy (aspirin 125 patients/185 occasions; clopidogrel 42 patients/65 occasions; dual therapy 16 patients/24 occasions) who underwent 548 dental extractions on 274 occasions, and a control group comprising 1088 patients who were not receiving any antiplatelet or anticoagulant therapy and underwent 2487 dental extractions on 1472 occasions. The incidence of postoperative bleeding was higher in the study group (5/274, 1.8%) than in the control group (10/1472, 0.7%), and also in the dual antiplatelet subgroup (1/24, 4.2%) than in the single antiplatelet subgroups (clopidogrel: 2/65, 3.1%; aspirin: 2/185, 1.1%); however, these differences were not significant. Postoperative bleeding was managed successfully by repacking with Gelfoam impregnated with tranexamic acid powder in 12 patients and by resuturing in three of the control patients undergoing extraction of impacted teeth with flap elevation. These findings indicate that there is no need to interrupt antiplatelet drugs before dental extraction.

Is Atrial Fibrillation a Risk Factor for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Occurrence?

Recent studies have reported an association between gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and atrial fibrillation (AF). The objective of the present study was to evaluate whether AF is one of the risk factors for GERD occurrence.In this hospital-based, retrospective, case-control study, the patients were classified into 2 groups. The patients diagnosed with new AF were assigned to the AF group (n = 1612); those diagnosed without AF and GERD were assigned to the control group (n = 1612). The subjects in the control group were selected from outpatients of total healthcare center without a history of AF or GERD, and matched for age and gender. We evaluated the incidence of GERD and risk factors for GERD occurrence between the 2 groups.The number of patients experiencing occurrence of GERD during the follow-up period was significantly higher in the AF group than those in the control group, respectively (129 patients vs 98 subjects, P = 0.037). The incidence of GERD was significantly higher in the AF group than in the control group by Kaplan-Meier analysis with log-rank test (P = 0.008). The AF group's adjusted hazard ratio of GERD occurrence against that of the control group was 1.37 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.16-1.57; P = 0.009) according to Cox's proportional hazard model.The presence of AF appears to increase the incidence of GERD and may be considered a risk factor for the development of GERD. Further, large prospective and cohort studies will be required to better establish the correlation of GERD with AF.

A Comparison of Dabigatran With Warfarin for Stroke Prevention in Atrial Fibrillation in an Asian Population

BACKGROUND

The Asian population with atrial fibrillation (AF) have a higher risk of stroke than the caucasian population and a higher risk of intracranial bleeding when anticoagulated with warfarin. There are few real-world studies comparing the efficacy of non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) and warfarin among Asian patients to assess its outcomes of ischemic stroke and hemorrhagic stroke.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study of 1000 patients on dabigatran and warfarin from 2009 to 2013.

RESULTS

Data were available for 500 patients on dabigatran and 500 patients on warfarin. The average follow-up duration was 315 ± 280 days in the dabigatran group and 355 ± 232 in the warfarin group. The time in therapeutic range (TTR) was 53.2% in the warfarin-treated group, with 32.8% of patients in the subtherapeutic international normalized ratio range of <2. None of the patients in the dabigatran group had ischemic cerebrovascular accident (CVA) compared to 4 (0.8%) patients in the warfarin group, hazard ratio (HR) 0.13, P = .3. There was 1 (0.2%) patient in both dabigatran and warfarin groups with hemorrhagic CVA (HR 1.16, P = .92). There were 3 (0.6%) patients with major bleeding in the dabigatran group compared to 2 (0.4%) patients in the warfarin group (HR 1.57, P = .59).

CONCLUSION

There were similar rates of efficacy for outcomes of ischemic CVA, hemorrhagic CVA, and bleeding when comparing dabigatran with warfarin. Our study shows that despite similar efficacy, suboptimal TTR rates and inconveniences with warfarin demonstrate that NOACs are preferred for stroke prevention in AF.

Risk of bleeding and stroke with oral anticoagulation and antiplatelet therapy in patients with atrial fibrillation in Taiwan: a nationwide cohort study

Background

Data on the use of oral anticoagulation (OAC) and antiplatelet therapy and the risk of bleeding and stroke amongst Asian patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) are limited. We investigated the risks of bleeding and stroke with use of oral anticoagulation (OAC) and antiplatelet therapy as mono- or combination therapy, in patients with AF from a Chinese nationwide cohort study.

Methods

We studied a cohort of 10384 patients (57.2% men, age 67.8 ± 13.2 yrs) between 1999 and 2010 from the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan. Records of prescriptions were obtained during follow-up. The main outcome was a recurrent stroke during the follow-up period. Time-dependent Cox proportional hazards models were used for this analysis.

Results

We documented 1009 events for bleeding, as well as 224 hemorrhagic stroke and 1642 ischemic stroke events during a median 3.2 (interquartile range, 1.05-6.54) years’ follow-up. Compared with warfarin users, patients with antiplatelet therapy had a lower risk of bleeding (adjusted relative risk [RR], 0.59, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.49-0.71, p<0.001) whilst combination therapy had a non-statistically significant higher bleeding risk (RR, 1.33, 95%, 0.91-1.94, p = 0.20). Patients on antiplatelet monotherapy had a similar risk for ischemic stroke compared with OAC (RR 1.05, 95% CI, 0.89-1.25, p = 0.50), whilst those on combination therapy had a significantly higher risk (RR 1.90, 95% CI, 1.34-2.70, p<0.001).

Conclusion

In a national representative cohort, antiplatelet therapy had no significant difference in ischemic stroke risk to warfarin. For bleeding, aspirin had a lower risk compared to warfarin. This may reflect poor anticoagulation control, highlighting important missed opportunities for improved stroke prevention, especially in countries where anticoagulation management is suboptimal.

Prevalence, incidence, and lifetime risk of atrial fibrillation in China: new insights into the global burden of atrial fibrillation

BACKGROUND

Much of the epidemiology of atrial fibrillation (AF) is based on data from Western populations. Despite the huge population of Asia, data on the clinical epidemiology of AF in Asian countries are limited. The current study aimed to investigate the prevalence and incidence of newly diagnosed (ie, incident) AF, as well as lifetime risk, in China and to determine the clinical risk factors contributing to its development.

METHODS

Using a medical insurance database involving > 10 million individuals for the years 2001 to 2012 in the southwest of China, trends in incident AF were calculated using Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox regression. The usefulness of the CHADS2 (congestive heart failure, hypertension, age, diabetes, stroke [doubled]) and CHA2DS2-VASc (congestive heart failure, hypertension, age ≥ 75 [doubled], diabetes, stroke [doubled], vascular disease, age 65-74, and sex category [female]) scores was tested in predicting the occurrence of incident AF.

RESULTS

A total of 471,446 individuals (aged ≥ 20 years) were studied, with 1,924,975 person-years of experience. We identified 921 patients with incident AF (62% male; mean age, 62 years). The prevalence of incident AF in subjects aged ≥ 20 years was 0.2 per 100 people, with an incidence of AF of 0.05 per 100 person-years overall. Over an 11-year period, the prevalence of AF increased 20-fold, whereas AF-related stroke increased 13-fold. The lifetime risk of AF was approximately one in five among Chinese adults, and it increased with advancing age. The CHA2DS2-VASc score was superior to the CHADS2 score in predicting the risk of incident AF in our Chinese population (DeLong test, Z = 6.621, P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

The AF burden, as well as the risk of AF-related stroke, has increased significantly over the past 11 years in the southwest of China. The public health burden of AF and its complications are greatest in the very elderly, with major implications for health-care systems given the global burden of this common arrhythmia.

Atrial fibrillation increases medical cost and complicates hospital outcome of traffic accident-related physical trauma--a nationwide population-based study

BACKGROUND

Traffic accidents account substantially for premature disability and deaths in the modern world. Whether atrial fibrillation complicates the outcome of traffic injury remains under-investigated.

METHODS

From 1998 to 2010, all inpatient records stored in the Taiwan National Health Insurance database were screened. Those related with traffic accidents were aggregated to individuals and enrolled. The medical expenses and hospital outcomes were compared between patients with atrial fibrillation (AF group) and either the rest patients (No-AF group) or the propensity-matched patients without atrial fibrillation (No-AF-matched group). Prognostic predictive variables for adverse in-hospital events were further identified by multivariate regression analysis.

RESULTS

Within the 13-year time span, of the 776,620 individuals ever admitted for traffic accidents, there were 1233 patients with AF. Compared with No-AF and No-AF-matched groups respectively, AF patients stayed longer in hospital (10.9 ± 10.6 vs. 6.8 ± 7.2 and vs. 8.2 ± 8.7 days, both p < 0.001), more often required surgical operations (73.2% vs. 69.5%, p = 0.006 and vs. 68.9%, p = 0.021), and consumed larger medical expenses (US$ 2384 ± 3174 vs. 1246 ± 2024, or 91.3% higher; and vs. 1406 ± 2172, or 69.6% higher, both p < 0.001), yet developed more postoperative complications (8.8% vs. 1.2% and vs. 3.2%, both p<0.001) and deaths (2.5% vs. 0.9%, p < 0.001 and vs. 1.6%, p = 0.015). Identified by regression analysis, CHA2DS2-VASC score and representative demographic/injury-related variables predict in-hospital adverse events in these AF group patients.

CONCLUSIONS

For patients suffering traffic accidents, those with AF consume more surgical resources and medical expenses yet end up with poorer hospital outcome, especially those with higher CHA2DS2-VASC scores and other relevant variables.

The global burden of atrial fibrillation and stroke: a systematic review of the epidemiology of atrial fibrillation in regions outside North America and Europe

BACKGROUND

Although atrial fibrillation (AF) is accepted as the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia, most published epidemiologic studies focus on predominantly white populations in North America or Europe, and information on AF in nonwhite populations is scarce. The objective of this study was to undertake a systematic review of the published literature on the epidemiology of AF in other regions.

METHODS

Systematic literature searches (MEDLINE; 1990-2010) identified epidemiologic studies reporting on the prevalence or incidence of AF, stroke in AF, risk factors for AF, or the use of antithrombotic therapy in countries outside North America and Europe. This report presents a descriptive analysis of the data; no meta-analysis was planned.

RESULTS

Many of the 38 articles identified were from the Far East, although Australia, New Zealand, the Middle East, and South America were also represented. The reported prevalence of AF varied among countries, with different ranges in community- and hospital-based studies (0.1%-4% and 2.8%-14%, respectively). The use of anticoagulant therapy varied widely among countries and studies, as did the reported prevalence of stroke in patients with AF (2.8%-24.2%).

CONCLUSIONS

High-quality epidemiologic studies are clearly required to improve understanding of the worldwide burden of AF and stroke in AF. Major improvements in the provision of thromboprophylaxis are also needed in many countries, given the high proportion of untreated patients who are, hence, at risk of stroke.

Atrial fibrillation: profile and burden of an evolving epidemic in the 21st century

BACKGROUND

Atrial fibrillation (AF) represents an increasing public health challenge with profound social and economic implications.

METHODS

A comprehensive synthesis and review of the AF literature was performed. Overall, key findings from 182 studies were used to describe the indicative scope and impact of AF from an individual to population perspective.

RESULTS

There are many pathways to AF including advancing age, cardiovascular disease and increased levels of obesity/metabolic disorders. The reported population prevalence of AF ranges from 2.3%-3.4% and historical trends reflect increased AF incidence. Estimated life-time risk of AF is around 1 in 4. Primary care contacts reflect whole population trends: AF-related case-presentations increase from less than 0.5% in those aged 40 years or less to 6-12% for those aged 85 years or more. Globally, AF-related hospitalisations (primary or secondary diagnosis) showed an upward trend (from ~35 to over 100 admissions/10,000 persons) during 1996 to 2006. The estimated cost of AF is greater than 1% of health care expenditure and rising with hospitalisations the largest contributor. For affected individuals, quality of life indices are poor and AF confers an independent 1.5 to 2.0-fold probability of death in the longer-term. AF is also closely linked to ischaemic stroke (3- to 5-fold risk), chronic heart failure (up to 50% develop AF) and acute coronary syndromes (up to 25% develop AF) with consistently worse outcomes reported with concurrent AF. Future projections predict at least a doubling of AF cases by 2050.

SUMMARY

AF represents an evolving, global epidemic providing considerable challenges to minimise its impact from an individual to whole society perspective.

Association between panic disorder and risk of atrial fibrillation:a nationwide study

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between panic disorder (PD) and atrial fibrillation (AF).

METHODS

We used a nationwide population-based data set from Taiwan. A total of 3888 patients with PD and without a diagnosis of AF from a sampled cohort data set of 1,000,000 were included in the study group. Ten people without PD and AF were selected for every 1 patient in the study group, matched by propensity score matching according to time of enrollment, age, sex, and comorbidities. We performed log-rank tests to analyze differences in accumulated AF-free survival rates between the two groups. Cox proportional hazard regressions were performed to evaluate the independent factors determining the longitudinal hazard of AF.

RESULTS

During a maximal 7-year follow-up, 48 patients from the study group (1.2% of the patients with PD) and 358 from the control group (0.9% of the patients without PD) were newly diagnosed as having AF. Patients with PD had a significantly higher incidence of AF (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.54 [1.14-2.09]; log-rank test, p = .004). After Cox model adjustment for risk factors and comorbidities, PD (HR = 1.73, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.26-2.37), age (HR = 1.07, 95% CI = 1.06-1.08), male sex (HR = 1.26, 95% CI = 1.03-1.55), hypertension (HR = 2.00, 95% CI = 1.55-2.56), history of coronary artery disease (HR = 1.45, 95% CI = 1.15-1.82), congestive heart failure (HR = 2.46; 95% CI, 1.84-3.30), and valvular heart disease (HR = 2.83, 95% CI = 1.85-4.42) were independently associated with increased risk of AF.

CONCLUSIONS

PD is independently associated with higher incidence of AF to be diagnosed in the future. Larger prospective studies or meta-analysis are suggested to confirm the findings.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease and atrial fibrillation: a nationwide population-based study

OBJECTIVES

Precise mechanisms of atrial fibrillation (AF) are uncertain, but their association with esophageal disorders has been recently proposed. The association between gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), the most common gastroesophageal disorder, and AF remains undetermined. We therefore aimed to investigate the association between GERD and later development of AF.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Patients with GERD were identified from the 1,000,000-person cohort dataset sampled from the Taiwan National Health Insurance database. The study cohort comprised 29,688 newly diagnosed adult GERD patients; 29,597 randomly selected age-, gender-, comobidity-matched subjects comprised the comparison cohort. Cox proportional hazard regressions were performed as a means of comparing the AF-free survival rate for the two cohorts. During a maximum three years of follow-up, a total of 351 patients experienced AF, including 184 (0.62%) patients in the GERD cohort and 167 (0.56%) in the control group. The log-rank test showed that patients with GERD had significantly higher incidence of AF than those without GERD (p = 0.024). After Cox proportional hazard regression model analysis, GERD was independently associated with the increased risk of AF (hazard ratio, 1.31; 95% confidence interval, 1.06-1.61, p = 0.013).

CONCLUSION

GERD was independently associated with an increased risk of future AF in a nationwide population-based cohort.

Diabetes mellitus increased mortality rates more in gender-specific than in nongender-specific cancer patients: a retrospective study of 149,491 patients

Aims. Hyperinsulinemia in overweight status, obesity, and type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) is often accompanied by cancer. Gender is important in cancer epidemiology, clinical presentation, and response to therapy in different histological types of malignancy. Insufficient information is available concerning gender differences in DM with organ-specific and nonorgan-specific cancers. This study aimed to analyze gender differences in hospitalized cancer patients with or without type 2 DM. Methods. We retrospectively reviewed ten years of patients hospitalized in one institution, enrolling 36,457 female and 50,004 male cancer patients of which 5,992 females and 8,345 males were diagnosed as type 2 DM. Results. Statistically significant increases in incidence of type 2 DM were found in patients of both genders with pancreatic, liver, and urinary tract cancer. Increased incidence of type 2 DM was found in lung and hematologic malignancies in females and prostate cancer in males. Increases in mortality rates of females with type 2 DM (2.98%) were higher than those in males. DM increased mortality rates in gender-specific cancers from 1.91% (uterus, HR: 1.33) to 5.04% (ovary, HR: 1.49). Conclusion. Type 2 DM increased mortality of cancer patients of both genders, with higher increases in gender-specific than in nongender-specific cancers.

Herpes simplex virus infection and risk of atrial fibrillation: a nationwide study

BACKGROUND

Currently, precise mechanisms of atrial fibrillation (AF) are uncertain but proved to be associated with inflammation. There has been no specific study to evaluate the risk of AF after diagnosis of herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection.

METHODS

To investigate the relationship between HSV infection and the occurrence of AF, we used a nation-wide population-based dataset from Taiwan. A total of 15,180 patients with diagnosis of HSV infection were included in the study group from a 1,000,000 sampling cohort dataset between January 2000 and December 2003. Another 73,197 age-, gender-, and comorbidity-matched subjects without HSV infection were included in the control group. The log-rank test was performed to analyze the differences in accumulated AF-free survival rates between these 2 groups. Cox proportional hazard regressions were performed to evaluate the independent factor in determining the longitudinal hazard of AF.

RESULTS

During a 3-year follow-up period, 240 patients from the study group (1.6%) and 801 patients from the comparison group (1.1%) had newly developed AF. The log-rank test showed that patients with HSV had significantly higher incidence of AF development than those without HSV (p<0.001). After Cox model adjustment for risk factors and comorbidities, HSV infection was independently associated with increased risk of AF development (hazard ratios [HR], 1.39; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.2-1.60; p<0.0001).

CONCLUSION

Our study concludes that HSV infection may be independently associated with an increased risk of future AF development.