Influence of systolic and diastolic blood pressure on the risk of incident atrial fibrillation in women.
BACKGROUND
The influence of systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP) on incident atrial fibrillation (AF) is not well studied among initially healthy, middle-aged women.


RESULTS
A total of 34,221 women participating in the Women's Health Study were prospectively followed up for incident AF. The risk of AF across categories of systolic and diastolic BP was compared by use of Cox proportional-hazards models. During 12.4 years of follow-up, 644 incident AF events occurred. Using BP measurements at baseline, we discovered that the long-term risk of AF was significantly increased across categories of systolic and diastolic BP. Multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios for systolic BP categories (<120, 120 to 129, 130 to 139, 140 to 159, and > or =160 mm Hg) were 1.0, 1.00 (95% CI, 0.78 to 1.28), 1.28 (95% CI, 1.00 to 1.63), 1.56 (95% CI, 1.22 to 2.01), and 2.74 (95% CI, 1.77 to 4.22) (P for trend <0.0001). Adjusted hazard ratios across baseline diastolic BP categories (<65, 65 to 74, 75 to 84, 85 to 89, 90 to 94, and > or =95 mm Hg) were 1.0, 1.17 (95% CI, 0.81 to 1.69), 1.18 (95% CI, 0.84 to 1.65), 1.53 (95% CI, 1.05 to 2.23), 1.35 (95% CI, 0.82 to 2.22), and 2.15 (95% CI, 1.21 to 3.84) (P for trend=0.004). When BP changes over time were accounted for in updated models, multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios were 1.0, 1.14 (95% CI, 0.89 to 1.46), 1.37 (95% CI, 1.07 to 1.76), 1.71 (95% CI, 1.33 to 2.21), and 2.21 (95% CI, 1.45 to 3.36) (P for trend <0.0001) for systolic BP categories and 1.0, 1.12 (95% CI, 0.82 to 1.52), 1.13 (95% CI, 0.83 to 1.52), 1.30 (95% CI, 0.89 to 1.88), 1.50 (95% CI, 1.01 to 1.88), and 1.54 (95% CI, 0.75 to 3.14) (P for trend=0.026) for diastolic BP categories.


CONCLUSIONS
In this large cohort of initially healthy women, BP was strongly associated with incident AF, and systolic BP was a better predictor than diastolic BP. Systolic BP levels within the nonhypertensive range were independently associated with incident AF even after BP changes over time were taken into account.
Center for Arrhythmia Prevention, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass., USA. conend@uhbs.ch
David
D
Conen
Usha B
UB
Tedrow
Bruce A
BA
Koplan
Robert J
RJ
Glynn
Julie E
JE
Buring
Christine M
CM
Albert
D000328:Adult; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001241:Aspirin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001794:Blood Pressure; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003971:Diastole; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015994:Incidence; D008875:Middle Aged; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013599:Systole; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000975:Antioxidants; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; D014810:Vitamin E; D001241:Aspirin