Prevalence of atrial fibrillation in elderly subjects (the Cardiovascular Health Study)

https://doi.org/10.1016/0002-9149(94)90363-8Get rights and content

Abstract

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common arrhythmia in elderly persons and a common cause of embolic stroke. Most studies of the prevalence and correlates of AF have used selected, hospital-based populations. The Cardiovascular Health Study is a population-based, longitudinal study of risk factors for coronary artery disease and stroke in 5,201 men and women aged ≥65 years. AF was diagnosed in 4.8% of women and in 6.2% of men at the baseline examination, and prevalence was strongly associated with advanced age in women. Prevalence of AF was 9.1% in men and women with clinical cardiovascular disease, 4.6% in patients with evidence of subclinical but no clinical cardiovascular disease, and only 1.6% in subjects with neither clinical nor subclinical cardiovascular disease. A history of congestive heart failure, valvular heart disease and stroke, echocardiographic evidence of enlarged left atrial dimension, abnormal mitral or aortic valve function, treated systemic hypertension, and advanced age were independently associated with the prevalence of AF. The low prevalence of AF in the absence of clinical and subclinical cardiovascular disease calls into question the existence and clinical usefulness of the concept of so-called “lone atrial fibrillation” in the elderly.

Reference (29)

  • FarahiJJ et al.

    Atrial fibrillation: prognostic significance and therapeutic implications

  • PritchettELC

    Management of atrial fibrillation

    N Engl J Med

    (1992)
  • WosikaPH et al.

    Unipolar precordial and limb lead electrocardiograms in the aged

    Geriatrics

    (1950)
  • TaranLM et al.

    Electrocardiographic changes with advancing age

    Geriatrics

    (1958)
  • Cited by (0)

    This study was supported by contracts N01-HC-85079, N01-HC-85080, N01-HC-85081, N01-HC-85082, N01-HC-85083, N01-HC-85084, N01-HC-85085, and N01-HC-85086 from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Bethesda, Maryland.

    *

    See Appendix for a listing of participating institutions and principal staff.

    View full text