title: Educational attainment is associated with atrial fibrillation symptom severity.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common arrhythmia encountered in clinical practice, is often managed with a rhythm control strategy. Despite the emphasis on symptom relief as the motivation for a rhythm controlling strategy in AF, it remains unclear what factors affect the patient's experienced severity of AF symptoms. We hypothesize that demographic variables may affect AF symptom severity as many AF symptoms (palpitations, dyspnea, fatigue) are nonspecific and may require particular patient insight.
  
  
  METHODS
  We assessed demographic variables, cardiac and noncardiac comorbidities, AF burden, and AF-specific self-reported symptom severity in a cohort of 300 outpatients with AF presenting to outpatient electrophysiology clinics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In unadjusted analyses, decreased educational attainment, unemployed working status, and non-Caucasian race were associated with worsened AF symptom severity. After adjusting for potential confounders, the association of decreased educational attainment with worsened AF symptom severity persisted.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Possible links between these demographic features and AF symptom severity are socioeconomic status and health literacy. Further study into the relationship between educational attainment and AF symptom severity is warranted.
authors: Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, Virginia, USA. golinm@evms.edu
authors: Neeta M
authors: NM
authors: Goli
authors: Tiffany
authors: T
authors: Thompson
authors: Samuel F
authors: SF
authors: Sears
authors: J Paul
authors: JP
authors: Mounsey
authors: Eugene
authors: E
authors: Chung
authors: Jennifer
authors: J
authors: Schwartz
authors: Kathryn
authors: K
authors: Wood
authors: Jennifer
authors: J
authors: Walker
authors: Kimberly
authors: K
authors: Guise
authors: Anil K
authors: AK
authors: Gehi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D004522:Educational Status; D004651:Employment; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009657:North Carolina / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D018570:Risk Assessment; D017678:Sex Distribution