High prevalence of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation and/or atrial flutter in metabolic syndrome.
BACKGROUND
Because metabolic syndrome is associated with cardiovascular diseases, its association with the risk of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) and/or atrial flutter (PAFL) was examined in the present study.


RESULTS
A prospective analysis was performed in 592 consecutive hospitalized patients without obvious structural heart diseases. Sinus rhythm was confirmed by electrocardiography in all patients. PAF/PAFL occurred in 32 (5%) and metabolic syndrome was present in 127 (21%) of the patients enrolled. PAF/PAFL occurred in 12 (9%) of the patients with metabolic syndrome, but only 20 (4%) of patients without metabolic syndrome (p=0.02). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that metabolic syndrome was a significant risk factor for PAF/PAFL that was independent of left atrial diameter (> 44 mm) or age (> 70 years) (odds ratio (OR) 2.8, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.3-6.2, p<0.01). Among the 5 components of the metabolic syndrome, body mass index > or = 25 kg/m2 was the most strongly associated with PAF/PAFL (OR; 3.0, 95% CI 1.2-7.4, p=0.02).


CONCLUSIONS
Metabolic syndrome is highly associated with PAF/PAFL in patients without structural heart diseases and obesity may be an underlying mechanism for the higher prevalence.
Umetani
Ken
K
Internal Medicine II, Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Medicine and Engineering, University of Yamanashi, Kofu, Japan. umetani-amrp@ych.pref.yamanashi.jp
Kodama
Yasushi
Y
Nakamura
Takamitsu
T
Mende
Akira
A
Kitta
Yoshinobu
Y
Kawabata
Kenichi
K
Obata
Jun-ei
JE
Takano
Hajime
H
Kugiyama
Kiyotaka
K
D000368:Aged; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000150:complications*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors