title: Metabolic syndrome does not impose greater atrial fibrillation risk in elderly hypertensive patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Metabolic syndrome (MS) increases the risk of atrial fibrillation (AF). It is not clear if MS imposes a greater risk of AF in elderly hypertensive patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  The data were gathered from surveys of 3,775 patients participating in the LIFE survey from November 2005 to July 2006. From this database there were 2,055 patients with MS, and 125 patients were diagnosed with AF.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of AF was not different between the MS and non-MS group. With an increasing number of MS components, the prevalence of AF did not change. Univariate analysis revealed that AF patients were older, male-predominant, and had more left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), heart failure, and coronary artery disease. There were higher levels of uric acid and creatinine in AF patients. AF patients were prescribed antihypertensive drugs, especially diuretics, but less frequently statins. Upon multivariate analysis, age, LVH, heart failure, use of diuretics, and use of statins were the independent predictors of AF. None of the MS components could predict AF attack.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MS does not impose more AF risk in elderly hypertensive patients. Aging, heart failure, LVH, and drugs used may play more important roles.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yu-Feng
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Shih-Ann
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Hung-I
authors.initials: HI
authors.lastname: Yeh
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D004232:Diuretics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000150:complications*; D012737:Sex Factors; D014527:Uric Acid / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004232:Diuretics; D014527:Uric Acid; D003404:Creatinine