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Catheter Ablation in Combination With Left Atrial Appendage Closure for Atrial Fibrillation
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Subclinical atherosclerosis and risk of atrial fibrillation: the rotterdam study

Jan Heeringa1, Deirdre A M van der Kuip, Albert Hofman

  • 1Departments of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

Archives of Internal Medicine
|February 28, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Subclinical atherosclerosis, measured by carotid intima-media thickness and plaque severity, independently increases the risk of developing atrial fibrillation in individuals without known heart disease. Aggressive management of atherosclerosis may prevent this condition.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Vascular Biology
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Atrial fibrillation is a common complication following myocardial infarction.
  • The association between subclinical atherosclerosis and atrial fibrillation risk is not well understood.
  • This study investigates the role of atherosclerosis in atrial fibrillation development among individuals without diagnosed coronary artery disease.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine if subclinical atherosclerosis predicts the incidence of atrial fibrillation.
  • To evaluate the relationship between carotid artery measures and atrial fibrillation risk.
  • To assess whether atherosclerosis is an independent risk factor for atrial fibrillation.

Main Methods:

  • The Rotterdam Study, a population-based cohort of 4407 older adults, was analyzed.
  • Carotid intima-media thickness and carotid plaque presence/severity were assessed at baseline.
  • Incident atrial fibrillation was tracked over a median of 7.5 years, with Cox proportional hazards models used for analysis.

Main Results:

  • Increased carotid intima-media thickness (highest vs. lowest quartile) was associated with a 1.90-fold higher risk of atrial fibrillation.
  • Severe carotid plaques correlated with a 1.49-fold increased risk of atrial fibrillation.
  • These associations were more pronounced in women than in men.

Conclusions:

  • Subclinical atherosclerosis is an independent risk factor for developing atrial fibrillation in individuals without overt atherosclerotic disease.
  • Findings suggest that early and aggressive management of atherosclerosis could be a strategy to prevent atrial fibrillation.
  • Targeting subclinical atherosclerosis may reduce the burden of atrial fibrillation in the general population.
Abstract

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