title: Atrial fibrillation and prognosis in patients 80+ years old with chronic heart failure.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  It is well known that the prevalence of atrial fibrillation (AF) increases with age. The purpose was to evaluate the impact of AF at the 1-year outcome of patients aged 80? who suffered from chronic heart failure (CHF).
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 220 consecutive patients at age 80–92 (mean 82.8 years, 45.5 % men) hospitalized for heart failure. The prospective analysis contains demographic and clinical data, basic laboratory tests with hsTnT and NT-proBNP, 12-lead resting electrocardiogram, echocardiography and coronary angiography results and the number of deaths at the 1-year followup. Patients were analyzed depending on AF in the resting electrocardiogram at hospital entry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  AF was recorded in 52 patients (24 %). The relationship with AF was found for more advanced NYHA class III and IV (p\0.001), higher concentrations of hsCRP (p = 0.0005), hsTnT (p = 0.007) and NT-proBNP (p = 0.0098), higher heart rate in the electrocardiogram (p = 0.000) and longer hospitalization (p = 0.025), older age (p = 0.003) and lower left ventricular ejection fraction (p = 0.006). Annual mortality was 13 % and was higher if AF occurred (17 %). However, there was no association between deaths and AF (p = 0.3297). From the multivariate stepwise analysis, independent risk factors for annual mortality were male gender (OR = 3.432; p = 0.043), left ventricular systolic dimension (OR = 1.871; p = 0.004) and dyslipidemia (OR = 0.252; p = 0.043).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the oldest patients aged 80? who suffered from CHF, the incidence of atrial fibrillation and annual mortality was high. The independent variables, which enhanced the risk of death at the 1-year follow-up, were male sex and left ventricular systolic dimension, but not atrial fibrillation.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cichocka-Radwan
authors.forename: Malgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lelonek
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000473:pathology; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000502:physiology