title: Carotid intima-media thickness is associated with incidence of hospitalized atrial fibrillation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) is a measure of arterial thickening and a risk predictor for myocardial infarction and stroke. It is unclear whether IMT also predicts atrial fibrillation (AF). We explored the association between IMT and incidence of first AF hospitalization in a population-based cohort.
  
  
  METHODS
  IMT was measured in 4846 subjects from the general population (aged 46-68 years, 60% women) without a history of AF, heart failure or myocardial infarction. The Swedish in-patient register was used for retrieval of AF cases. IMT was studied in relation to incidence of AF.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During a mean follow-up of 15.3 years, 353 subjects (181 men, 172 women, 4.8 per 1000 person-years) were hospitalized with a diagnosis of AF. After adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors, the hazard ratio (HR) for incidence of AF was 1.61 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.14-2.27) for 4th vs. 1st quartile of IMT in the common carotid artery. This relationship was also independent of occurrence of carotid plaque. The results were similar for IMT in the bifurcation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Carotid IMT was independently associated with incidence of hospitalized AF in this study of middle-aged subjects from the general population. The results suggest that arterial thickening can predict future AF.
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Epidemiology Research Group, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Skåne University Hospital, Clinical Research Centre Building 60, Floor 13, Jan Waldenströms Gata 35, 20502 Malmö, Sweden. Electronic address: samuel.adamsson_eryd@med.lu.se.
authors.forename: Samuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Adamsson Eryd
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Epidemiology Research Group, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Skåne University Hospital, Clinical Research Centre Building 60, Floor 13, Jan Waldenströms Gata 35, 20502 Malmö, Sweden.
authors.forename: Gerd
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Östling
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Epidemiology Research Group, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Skåne University Hospital, Clinical Research Centre Building 60, Floor 13, Jan Waldenströms Gata 35, 20502 Malmö, Sweden.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rosvall
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Epidemiology Research Group, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Skåne University Hospital, Clinical Research Centre Building 60, Floor 13, Jan Waldenströms Gata 35, 20502 Malmö, Sweden.
authors.forename: Margaretha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Persson
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
authors.forename: J Gustav
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Epidemiology Research Group, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Skåne University Hospital, Clinical Research Centre Building 60, Floor 13, Jan Waldenströms Gata 35, 20502 Malmö, Sweden.
authors.forename: Olle
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Melander
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Epidemiology Research Group, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Skåne University Hospital, Clinical Research Centre Building 60, Floor 13, Jan Waldenströms Gata 35, 20502 Malmö, Sweden.
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hedblad
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Epidemiology Research Group, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Skåne University Hospital, Clinical Research Centre Building 60, Floor 13, Jan Waldenströms Gata 35, 20502 Malmö, Sweden.
authors.forename: Gunnar
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Engström
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D017536:Carotid Artery, Common / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D015897:Comorbidity; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology; D015994:Incidence; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids
keywords: Atrial fibrillation; Epidemiology; Intima-media thickness; Population; Risk factors