P E Wändell1. 1. The Husläkarna i Osteråker Health Centre, Akersberga, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: A study of subjects with known atrial fibrillation (AF) in a Swedish community. DESIGN: A survey of subjects with present, or previous, AF (at 30 September 1998) identified through medical records. SETTING: A community in the Stockholm Metropolitan area. RESULTS: Altogether 230 subjects, mean age 73 years, with a history of AF were identified (140 men and 90 women). One-hundred-and-forty-nine patients were identified as having chronic, irreversible AF (65%). Of those with chronic AF, heart failure was noted in 53%, a valvular disease in 8%, hypertension in 32%, coronary heart disease in 36%, diabetes in 17% and an earlier ischaemic cerebrovascular episode in 30%. Hypertension was found as a significant factor for earlier ischaemic cerebrovascular episodes (OR 2.45, 95% CI 1.20-5.19). Anticoagulant treatment was prescribed in 32% out of those with chronic AF. The estimated overall occurrence of subjects with present, or a history of, AF was 0.7% in the community and 1.4% when standardising by age and sex to the whole Swedish population. CONCLUSION: AF is a common arrhythmia in Sweden, with an estimated occurrence of 1-1.5%, but despite a high rate of ischaemic cerebrovascular events in chronic AF (30%) a low prescription of anticoagulants.
OBJECTIVE: A study of subjects with known atrial fibrillation (AF) in a Swedish community. DESIGN: A survey of subjects with present, or previous, AF (at 30 September 1998) identified through medical records. SETTING: A community in the Stockholm Metropolitan area. RESULTS: Altogether 230 subjects, mean age 73 years, with a history of AF were identified (140 men and 90 women). One-hundred-and-forty-nine patients were identified as having chronic, irreversible AF (65%). Of those with chronic AF, heart failure was noted in 53%, a valvular disease in 8%, hypertension in 32%, coronary heart disease in 36%, diabetes in 17% and an earlier ischaemic cerebrovascular episode in 30%. Hypertension was found as a significant factor for earlier ischaemic cerebrovascular episodes (OR 2.45, 95% CI 1.20-5.19). Anticoagulant treatment was prescribed in 32% out of those with chronic AF. The estimated overall occurrence of subjects with present, or a history of, AF was 0.7% in the community and 1.4% when standardising by age and sex to the whole Swedish population. CONCLUSION:AF is a common arrhythmia in Sweden, with an estimated occurrence of 1-1.5%, but despite a high rate of ischaemic cerebrovascular events in chronic AF (30%) a low prescription of anticoagulants.
Authors: Ralph F Bosch; David Pittrow; Anne Beltzer; Irmtraut Kruck; Wilhelm Kirch; Annette Kohlhaussen; Hendrik Bonnemeier Journal: Herzschrittmacherther Elektrophysiol Date: 2013-08-27
Authors: Thomas Meinertz; Wilhelm Kirch; Ludger Rosin; David Pittrow; Stefan N Willich; Paulus Kirchhof Journal: Clin Res Cardiol Date: 2011-05-01 Impact factor: 5.460