OBJECTIVE: Atrial fibrillation (AF) and atherosclerotic vascular disease are closely entangled disorders and often coexist. Whether atherosclerosis predisposes to the development of AF has not been fully elucidated. APPROACH AND RESULTS: This study was performed within the framework of the Bruneck Study, a population-based survey with near-complete participation (932 of 1000), long-term follow-up (1990-2010), and thorough assessment of AF. The carotid arteries served as a window to systemic atherosclerosis and were scanned every 5 years. Pooled logistic regression and multistate proportional hazards models were used to identify risk predictors of incident AF and effects of AF on mortality. During follow-up, 118 new cases of AF were detected (incidence per 1000 person-years of 8.1; 95% confidence interval, 6.8-9.6). Individuals with atherosclerosis were more likely to develop AF than individuals without (odds ratio, 1.8; 95% confidence interval, 1.1-3.1; P=0.021). This finding applied to women and men and to both baseline and incident atherosclerosis during follow-up. Subjects with atherosclerosis and AF were significantly more likely to die than those with either condition alone (P=0.0034), and mortality in this group was ≈ 4-fold compared with individuals free of atherosclerosis and AF (hazard ratio, 4.2; 95% confidence interval, 2.6-6.8; P<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: We found that subjects with carotid atherosclerosis are at high risk of developing AF.
OBJECTIVE: Atrial fibrillation (AF) and atherosclerotic vascular disease are closely entangled disorders and often coexist. Whether atherosclerosis predisposes to the development of AF has not been fully elucidated. APPROACH AND RESULTS: This study was performed within the framework of the Bruneck Study, a population-based survey with near-complete participation (932 of 1000), long-term follow-up (1990-2010), and thorough assessment of AF. The carotid arteries served as a window to systemic atherosclerosis and were scanned every 5 years. Pooled logistic regression and multistate proportional hazards models were used to identify risk predictors of incident AF and effects of AF on mortality. During follow-up, 118 new cases of AF were detected (incidence per 1000 person-years of 8.1; 95% confidence interval, 6.8-9.6). Individuals with atherosclerosis were more likely to develop AF than individuals without (odds ratio, 1.8; 95% confidence interval, 1.1-3.1; P=0.021). This finding applied to women and men and to both baseline and incident atherosclerosis during follow-up. Subjects with atherosclerosis and AF were significantly more likely to die than those with either condition alone (P=0.0034), and mortality in this group was ≈ 4-fold compared with individuals free of atherosclerosis and AF (hazard ratio, 4.2; 95% confidence interval, 2.6-6.8; P<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: We found that subjects with carotid atherosclerosis are at high risk of developing AF.
Authors: Cesare Russo; Zhezhen Jin; Fusako Sera; Edward S Lee; Shunichi Homma; Tatjana Rundek; Mitchell S V Elkind; Ralph L Sacco; Marco R Di Tullio Journal: Circ Cardiovasc Imaging Date: 2015-08 Impact factor: 7.792
Authors: Karin Willeit; Raimund Pechlaner; Peter Willeit; Philipp Skroblin; Bernhard Paulweber; Christiana Schernthaner; Thomas Toell; Georg Egger; Siegfried Weger; Martin Oberhollenzer; Ludmilla Kedenko; Bernhard Iglseder; Enzo Bonora; Georg Schett; Manuel Mayr; Johann Willeit; Stefan Kiechl Journal: JAMA Cardiol Date: 2017-05-01 Impact factor: 14.676
Authors: Thomas Toell; Christian Boehme; Lukas Mayer; Stefan Krebs; Clemens Lang; Karin Willeit; Barbara Prantl; Michael Knoflach; Gerhard Rumpold; Gudrun Schoenherr; Andrea Griesmacher; Peter Willeit; Julia Ferrari; Wilfried Lang; Stefan Kiechl; Johann Willeit Journal: BMC Neurol Date: 2018-11-06 Impact factor: 2.474