Marcello Ricardo Paulista Markus1, Peter J Meffert2, Sebastian Edgar Baumeister3, Wolfgang Lieb4, Ulrike Siewert5, Sabine Schipf6, Manja Koch7, Jan A Kors8, Stephan Burkhard Felix9, Marcus Dörr9, Giovanni Targher10, Henry Völzke11. 1. Department of Internal Medicine B, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany; DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany; Department of Study of Health in Pomerania/Clinical-Epidemiological Research, Institute for Community Medicine, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany; DZD (German Center for Diabetes Research), Partner Site Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany. Electronic address: marcello.markus@uni-greifswald.de. 2. Department of Study of Health in Pomerania/Clinical-Epidemiological Research, Institute for Community Medicine, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany. 3. Department of Study of Health in Pomerania/Clinical-Epidemiological Research, Institute for Community Medicine, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany; Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany. 4. Institute of Epidemiology and Biobank Popgen, Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Kiel, Germany. 5. Department of Epidemiology of Health Care and Community Health, Institute for Community Medicine, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany. 6. Department of Study of Health in Pomerania/Clinical-Epidemiological Research, Institute for Community Medicine, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany; DZD (German Center for Diabetes Research), Partner Site Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany. 7. Institute of Epidemiology and Biobank Popgen, Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Kiel, Germany; Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, USA. 8. Department of Medical Informatics, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. 9. Department of Internal Medicine B, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany; DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany. 10. Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, University and Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata of Verona, Verona, Italy. 11. DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany; Department of Study of Health in Pomerania/Clinical-Epidemiological Research, Institute for Community Medicine, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany; DZD (German Center for Diabetes Research), Partner Site Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Hepatic steatosis (HS) affects up to 35% of adults in the general population. Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most prevalent sustained arrhythmia and has a substantial impact on healthcare costs. We analyzed cross-sectional associations of HS and serum liver enzyme levels with prevalent AF in a general population sample. METHODS: We analyzed data from 3090 women and men, aged 20-81 years, from the population-based Study of Health in Pomerania. HS was determined by ultrasonography. Serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase (GGT) were measured photometrically. AF was determined by automatic electrocardiographic analysis software. RESULTS: The prevalences of HS and AF were 30.3% and 1.49%, respectively. ALT, AST and GGT showed a positive linear association with the risk of prevalent AF, after multivariable adjustment. The adjusted odds ratios for AF per 1-standard deviation increment in log-transformed serum liver enzyme levels were 1.65 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.16 to 2.35; p = 0.006) for ALT, 1.47 (95%CI: 1.07 to 2.02; p = 0.017) for AST and 2.17 (95%CI: 1.64 to 2.87; p < 0.001) for GGT. In contrast, ultrasonographic HS was not associated with AF. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that moderately elevated serum liver enzymes, but not sonographic liver hyperechogenicity, were associated with increased AF prevalence in the general adult population. The hepatic release of increased levels of serum liver enzymes might be accompanied by higher levels of pro-inflammatory, pro-coagulant and pro-fibronogenic mediators that might lead to structural and electrical remodeling of the atrium resulting in the development and persistence of AF.
BACKGROUND:Hepatic steatosis (HS) affects up to 35% of adults in the general population. Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most prevalent sustained arrhythmia and has a substantial impact on healthcare costs. We analyzed cross-sectional associations of HS and serum liver enzyme levels with prevalent AF in a general population sample. METHODS: We analyzed data from 3090 women and men, aged 20-81 years, from the population-based Study of Health in Pomerania. HS was determined by ultrasonography. Serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase (GGT) were measured photometrically. AF was determined by automatic electrocardiographic analysis software. RESULTS: The prevalences of HS and AF were 30.3% and 1.49%, respectively. ALT, AST and GGT showed a positive linear association with the risk of prevalent AF, after multivariable adjustment. The adjusted odds ratios for AF per 1-standard deviation increment in log-transformed serum liver enzyme levels were 1.65 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.16 to 2.35; p = 0.006) for ALT, 1.47 (95%CI: 1.07 to 2.02; p = 0.017) for AST and 2.17 (95%CI: 1.64 to 2.87; p < 0.001) for GGT. In contrast, ultrasonographic HS was not associated with AF. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that moderately elevated serum liver enzymes, but not sonographic liver hyperechogenicity, were associated with increased AF prevalence in the general adult population. The hepatic release of increased levels of serum liver enzymes might be accompanied by higher levels of pro-inflammatory, pro-coagulant and pro-fibronogenic mediators that might lead to structural and electrical remodeling of the atrium resulting in the development and persistence of AF.
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