title: Prevalence of atrial fibrillation in hospitalized patients over 40 years old: ten-year data from the People's Hospital of Peking University.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The risk factors for atrial fibrillation (AF) are complicated and multifactorial. In the present study we investigated the prevalence of atrial fibrillation in China.
  
  
  METHODS
  The inpatient medical records of patients over 40 years with AF in the People's Hospital of Peking University from October 1998 to September 2008 were retrospectively analysed in the present study. All patients were divided into AF and non-AF groups. Their clinical characteristics were compared and the risk factors were also investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Multivariate analysis demonstrated that AF was independently associated with rheumatic heart disease (odds ratio (OR), 16.53; 95% confidence interval (CI), 8.66-31.54; P < 0.0 1), congestive heart failure (OR, 5.13; 95% CI, 3.14-8.37; P < 0.01), hyperthyroidism (OR, 2.65; 95% CI, 1.71-4.09; P < 0.01), age (OR, 1.74; 95% CI, 1.46-2.07; P < 0.01), low serum albumin (OR, 2.02; 95% CI, 1.43-2.84; P < 0.01), hypertension (OR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.22-1.80; P < 0.01), high serum uric acid (OR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.18-1.70; P < 0.01), male sex (OR, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.52-0.74; P < 0.01), and idiopathic cardiomyopathy (OR, 1.98; 95% CI, 1.06-3.71; P = 0.03).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The risk factors for prevalence of AF in China mainly include rheumatic heart disease, heart failure, hyperthyroidism, hypertension, idiopathic cardiomyopathy, older age and male sex. Furthermore, an independent relationship between low serum albumin, high serum uric acid and AF was also confirmed.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Emergency, People's Hospital of Peking University, Xi Zhimen South Street, Beijing 100044, People's Republic of China. lyspku@126.com
authors.forename: Yuansheng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Jihong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Guo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D002311:Cardiomyopathy, Dilated; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000150:complications; D006785:Hospitals, University / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications; D006980:Hyperthyroidism / Q000150:complications; D033461:Hyperuricemia / Q000150:complications; D007297:Inpatients / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000378:metabolism; D012737:Sex Factors; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000150:complications
chemical_list: D012709:Serum Albumin