Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 4, 2026
Estimating Bilateral Atrial Function by Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Feature Tracking in Patients with Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation
Published on: July 20, 2022
Airflow obstruction, lung function, and incidence of atrial fibrillation: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities
Jingjing Li1, Sunil K Agarwal, Alvaro Alonso
1University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC (J.L., L.R.L., A.M.M., C.P., G.H.); Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD (S.K.A.); University of Minnesota, Minneapolis (A.A.); New York University Medical Center, New York (S.B.); Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN (A.M.C.); National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, NC (S.J.L.); and Wake Forest University, Winston Salem, NC (E.Z.S.).
Background:
Reduced low forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) is reportedly associated with an increased risk of atrial fibrillation (AF). Extant reports do not provide separate estimates for never smokers or for blacks, who incongruously have lower AF incidence than whites.
Methods And Results:
We examined 15 004 middle-aged blacks and whites enrolled in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) cohort study. Standardized spirometry data were collected at the baseline examination. Incident AF was identified from the first among the following: International Classification of Diseases codes for AF on hospital discharge records or death certificates or 12-lead ECGs performed during 3 triennial follow-up visits. Over an average follow-up of 17.5 years, a total of 1691 participants (11%) developed new-onset AF. The rate of incident AF was inversely associated with FEV1 in each of the 4 race and sex groups. After multivariable adjustment for traditional cardiovascular disease risk factors and height, hazard ratios of AF comparing the lowest with the highest quartile of FEV1 were 1.37 (95% confidence interval, 1.02-1.83) for white women, 1.49 (95% confidence interval, 1.16-1.91) for white men, 1.63 (95% confidence interval, 1.00-2.66) for black women, and 2.36 (95% confidence interval, 1.30-4.29) for black men. The above associations were observed across all smoking status categories. Moderate/severe airflow obstruction (FEV1/forced vital capacity <0.70 and FEV1 < 80% of predicted value) was also associated with higher AF incidence.
Conclusions:
In this large population-based study with a long-term follow-up, reduced FEV1 and obstructive respiratory disease were associated with a higher AF incidence after adjustment for measured confounders.
Related Concept Videos
01:19Factors Affecting Pulmonary Ventilation
Alveolar Surface Tension
The alveolar fluid lines the luminal surface of the alveoli and exerts a force called surface tension. This force is caused by the polar water molecules in the liquid being more strongly attracted to each...
01:25Aortic Regurgitation III: Medical Management
01:27Atherosclerosis II: Clinical Manifestations and Diagnostic Tests
01:20Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-II: Pathophysiology
Chronic Inflammation
01:25Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-III: Symptoms and Complications.
Symptoms of COPD can be classified as primary or systemic. Primary symptoms relate to reduced airflow, while systemic or extrapulmonary symptoms relate to COPD's broader impact on the body.
Primary Symptoms of COPD:
01:26Atherosclerosis III: Management