title: Age-related changes in the electrophysiologic properties of the atrium in patients with no history of atrial fibrillation.
abstract: Although atrial fibrillation is a common arrhythmia, especially in the elderly, little is known about age-related changes in the electrophysiologic properties of the atrium. The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of aging on atrial vulnerability to atrial fibrillation. An electrophysiologic study was performed in 45 patients with no history of atrial fibrillation, Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, structural heart disease, or conditions with potential effects on cardiac hemodynamic or electrophysiologic function (15 females; mean age, 52 +/- 18 years; range, 14 to 84 years). The following atrial excitability parameters were assessed: spontaneous or paced (A1) and extrastimulated (A2) atrial electrogram widths, percent maximum atrial fragmentation (A2/A1 x 100), effective refractory period, wavelength index (ERP/A2), and inducibility of atrial fibrillation. Atrial fibrillation was induced in 9 patients. Percent maximum atrial fragmentation was greater (176 +/- 36 vs 137 +/- 26%, P < 0.001) and wavelength index was shorter (2.4 +/- 0.4 vs 3.2 +/- 0.9, P < 0.01) in the patients with than without inducible atrial fibrillation. However, age was similar in patients with and without inducible atrial fibrillation (47 +/- 11 vs 53 +/- 19 years, P = 0.36). Percent maximum atrial fragmentation and effective refractory period directly correlated with age (r = 0.32, P < 0.05 and r = 0.45, P < 0.001, respectively). On the other hand, wavelength index (3.1 +/- 0.9) did not correlate with age (r = -0.05, P = 0.77). This study suggests that the mechanism triggering atrial fibrillation may be very well different between older and younger patients with atrial fibrillation, because younger patients have no marked substrate for atrial fibrillation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology and Clinical Research, National Zentsuji Hospital, 2-1-I, Senyu-cho, Zentsuji, Kagawa 765-8507, Japan.
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sakabe
authors.forename: Nobuo
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fukuda
authors.forename: Teru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nada
authors.forename: Hisanori
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shinohara
authors.forename: Yoshiyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tamura
authors.forename: Tetsuzo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wakatsuki
authors.forename: Akiyoshi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nishikado
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Oki
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000503:physiopathology*; D022062:Electrophysiologic Techniques, Cardiac; D004594:Electrophysiology; D005260:Female; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014927:Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome / Q000503:physiopathology