title: Body mass index predicts new-onset atrial fibrillation after cardiac surgery.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  New-onset postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) after cardiac surgery is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Since obesity is becoming increasingly prevalent, identifying body mass index (BMI) as a risk factor for POAF could be of importance. The aim of our study is to investigate the effect of BMI on POAF, independent of other risk factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed data of 6788 men and 2560 women who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting, valve surgery, or a combination of both, and who had no history of atrial fibrillation. Men and women were analyzed separately because risk factors of POAF were expected to be distributed unequally over both sexes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The independent effect of gender was analyzed in a combined model. POAF occurred in 2517/9348 (27%) of patients. Multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that BMI (odds ratio (OR) 1.03; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01-1.04; p<0.001 in men and OR 1.03; 95% CI: 1.02-1.05; p<0.001 in women), age (OR 1.06; 95% CI: 1.05-1.07; p<0.001 in men and OR 1.05; 95% CI: 1.04-1.06; p<0.001 in women), valve surgery compared to coronary surgery (e.g., mitral valve surgery compared to coronary artery bypass grafting: OR 3.4; 95% CI: 2.4-4.6; p<0.001 in men and OR 2.9; 95% CI: 2.0-4.3; p<0.001 in women) and male gender (OR 1.23; 95% CI: 1.09-1.38; p=0.001) were the only independent risk factors for POAF, whereas chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hypertension, off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting, extra corporal circulation time, and transfusion of blood products were not.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Body mass index, age, undergoing valve surgery and male gender, are independent risk factors for POAF.
authors: Department of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery, Catharina Hospital, Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
authors: Sander
authors: S
authors: Bramer
authors: Albert H M
authors: AH
authors: van Straten
authors: Mohamed A
authors: MA
authors: Soliman Hamad
authors: Eric
authors: E
authors: Berreklouw
authors: Krista C
authors: KC
authors: van den Broek
authors: Jos G
authors: JG
authors: Maessen
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000601:surgery; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000209:etiology*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000009:adverse effects; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000601:surgery; D019918:Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008943:Mitral Valve / Q000601:surgery; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D012737:Sex Factors