Zhi Du1, Boqiang Zhang2, Min Lin3, Yuanmeng Tian2, Li Jing2, Shuang Liu4, Yanhong Cheng5, Lei Shi6, Yingxian Sun7, Liying Xing8. 1. Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110001, PR China. 2. Disease Control and Prevention Centre of Liaoning Province, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110001, PR China. 3. Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Benxi Central Hospital, Benxi, Liaoning, 117000, PR China. 4. Department of Cardiovascular Ultrasound, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110001, PR China. 5. Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Chaoyang Central Hospital, Chaoyang, 122000, Liaoning, PR China. 6. Disease Control and Prevention Centre of Liaoyang, Liaoyang, Liaoning, 111000, PR China. 7. Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110001, PR China. Electronic address: sunyingxian_cmu@126.com. 8. Disease Control and Prevention Centre of Liaoning Province, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110001, PR China. Electronic address: xly1983sy@163.com.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To investigate the epidemiology of atrial fibrillation (AF) in postmenopausal women and to evaluate the association between age of menopause and AF. STUDY DESIGN: A total of 9117 postmenopausal women were selected from a cross-sectional study conducted among the general population of north-east China from September 2017 and March 2019. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: AF was diagnosed according to self-reported medical history of AF and/or current ECG findings. The epidemiology of AF including prevalence, awareness, use of anticoagulants and cardiovascular risk factors in postmenopausal women were carefully assessed. The association between age of menopause and AF was evaluated by stepwise logistic regression. RESULTS: The prevalence of AF was up to 1.1 % (95 % CI, 0.9 %-1.3 %) in postmenopausal women, but the awareness of it was 61.2 %. The proportion of AF patients requiring treatment with an oral anticoagulant (OAC) was as high as 87.8 % according to CHA2DS2-VASc score, while only 5.8 % of them received it. The prevalence of cardiovascular risks factors was high among postmenopausal women with AF, but awareness, treatment and control of these comorbidities were unacceptably low. Compared with the women with premature menopause (< 45 years), participants reporting onset of menopause at 50-54 years had a significantly lower risk of AF (OR 0.49, 95 % CI 0.27-0.91). CONCLUSIONS: The widespread use of OAC and the control of cardiovascular risk factors in postmenopausal women with AF was of great significance in preventing AF-related stroke. The history of premature menopause provided a reliable opportunity for primary prevention of AF.
OBJECTIVES: To investigate the epidemiology of atrial fibrillation (AF) in postmenopausal women and to evaluate the association between age of menopause and AF. STUDY DESIGN: A total of 9117 postmenopausal women were selected from a cross-sectional study conducted among the general population of north-east China from September 2017 and March 2019. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: AF was diagnosed according to self-reported medical history of AF and/or current ECG findings. The epidemiology of AF including prevalence, awareness, use of anticoagulants and cardiovascular risk factors in postmenopausal women were carefully assessed. The association between age of menopause and AF was evaluated by stepwise logistic regression. RESULTS: The prevalence of AF was up to 1.1 % (95 % CI, 0.9 %-1.3 %) in postmenopausal women, but the awareness of it was 61.2 %. The proportion of AFpatients requiring treatment with an oral anticoagulant (OAC) was as high as 87.8 % according to CHA2DS2-VASc score, while only 5.8 % of them received it. The prevalence of cardiovascular risks factors was high among postmenopausal women with AF, but awareness, treatment and control of these comorbidities were unacceptably low. Compared with the women with premature menopause (< 45 years), participants reporting onset of menopause at 50-54 years had a significantly lower risk of AF (OR 0.49, 95 % CI 0.27-0.91). CONCLUSIONS: The widespread use of OAC and the control of cardiovascular risk factors in postmenopausal women with AF was of great significance in preventing AF-related stroke. The history of premature menopause provided a reliable opportunity for primary prevention of AF.