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Atrial ectopy as a predictor of incident atrial fibrillation: a cohort study.

TitleAtrial ectopy as a predictor of incident atrial fibrillation: a cohort study.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2013
AuthorsDewland, TA, Vittinghoff, E, Mandyam, MC, Heckbert, SR, Siscovick, DS, Stein, PK, Psaty, BM, Sotoodehnia, N, Gottdiener, JS, Marcus, GM
JournalAnn Intern Med
Volume159
Issue11
Pagination721-8
Date Published2013 Dec 03
ISSN1539-3704
KeywordsAged, Atrial Fibrillation, Atrial Function, Cause of Death, Electrocardiography, Female, Humans, Male, Models, Statistical, Myocardial Contraction, Prospective Studies, Risk Assessment
Abstract<p><b>BACKGROUND: </b>Atrial fibrillation (AF) prediction models have unclear clinical utility given the absence of AF prevention therapies and the immutability of many risk factors. Premature atrial contractions (PACs) play a critical role in AF pathogenesis and may be modifiable.</p><p><b>OBJECTIVE: </b>To investigate whether PAC count improves model performance for AF risk.</p><p><b>DESIGN: </b>Prospective cohort study.</p><p><b>SETTING: </b>4 U.S. communities.</p><p><b>PATIENTS: </b>A random subset of 1260 adults without prevalent AF enrolled in the Cardiovascular Health Study between 1989 and 1990.</p><p><b>MEASUREMENTS: </b>The PAC count was quantified by 24-hour electrocardiography. Participants were followed for the diagnosis of incident AF or death. The Framingham AF risk algorithm was used as the comparator prediction model.</p><p><b>RESULTS: </b>In adjusted analyses, doubling the hourly PAC count was associated with a significant increase in AF risk (hazard ratio, 1.17 [95% CI, 1.13 to 1.22]; P < 0.001) and overall mortality (hazard ratio, 1.06 [CI, 1.03 to 1.09]; P < 0.001). Compared with the Framingham model, PAC count alone resulted in similar AF risk discrimination at 5 and 10 years of follow-up and superior risk discrimination at 15 years. The addition of PAC count to the Framingham model resulted in significant 10-year AF risk discrimination improvement (c-statistic, 0.65 vs. 0.72; P < 0.001), net reclassification improvement (23.2% [CI, 12.8% to 33.6%]; P < 0.001), and integrated discrimination improvement (5.6% [CI, 4.2% to 7.0%]; P < 0.001). The specificity for predicting AF at 15 years exceeded 90% for PAC counts more than 32 beats/h.</p><p><b>LIMITATION: </b>This study does not establish a causal link between PACs and AF.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION: </b>The addition of PAC count to a validated AF risk algorithm provides superior AF risk discrimination and significantly improves risk reclassification. Further study is needed to determine whether PAC modification can prospectively reduce AF risk.</p><p><b>PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE: </b>American Heart Association, Joseph Drown Foundation, and National Institutes of Health.</p>
DOI10.7326/0003-4819-159-11-201312030-00004
Alternate JournalAnn. Intern. Med.
PubMed ID24297188
PubMed Central IDPMC4115459
Grant ListN01HC55222 / HC / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
N01 HC085086 / HC / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
N01 HC085081 / HC / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
N01HC85239 / HC / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
N01HC85080 / HC / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
U01 HL080295 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
R01HL116747 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
N01 HC085083 / HC / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
N01HC55222 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
N01HC85086 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
N01 HC085082 / HC / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
N01HC85081 / HC / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
N01 HC085080 / HC / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
N01HC85079 / HC / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
HHSN268201200036C / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
N01HC85086 / HC / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
R01 HL080295 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
N01HC85082 / HC / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
N01HC85082 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
N01HC85083 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
HHSN268201200036C / / PHS HHS / United States
HL080295 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
N01HC85083 / HC / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
N01HC85079 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
N01 HC085079 / HC / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
R01 AG023629 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
N01HC85080 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
AG023629 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
R56 AG023629 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
R01 HL116747 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
N01HC85081 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States