title: Atrial fibrillation in first generation Chinese migrants living in Europe: A proof of concept study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Despite the public health burden of atrial fibrillation (AF) and its complications in China, there is no literature on AF among Chinese living in Europe. The present study was performed to investigate the prevalence of and risk factors for AF in Chinese first generation migrants settled in Europe.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional survey was performed in 2014 on Chinese first generation migrants aged 16 to 59years settled in Prato (Italy) adopting principles of community based participatory research. All participants underwent recording of 30s of a single-channel ECG and associations of AF with socio-demographic, anthropometric, clinical factors, and sleep history were examined using logistic regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 1608 participants, 12 had AF (0.75%; 95% CI 0.33 to 1.17) - four men and eight women. All subjects with AF had a CHA2DS2VASc index≥1. Although no participant with AF had contraindications to oral anticoagulation, none was treated with oral anticoagulants. At multivariable adjusted logistic regression AF was associated with hypertension with an OR of 4.40 (95% CI 1.09-17.81; p=0.038).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Chinese are one of the fastest growing migrant populations in Europe and their health has become a key issue to host nations. The issue of AF is to be considered in future prevention programs for elusive ethnic minorities and adequately powered trials specifically designed to investigate AF prevalence and to test prevention approaches are now needed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy. Electronic address: pamodesti@unifi.it.
authors.forename: Pietro A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Modesti
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Colella
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Capital Medical University Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Beijing, China; National Institute of Heart, Lung & Blood Disease, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Dong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhao
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D044466:Asian People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D002681:China / Q000208:ethnology; D055812:Community-Based Participatory Research; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology*; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D014171:Transients and Migrants; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Atrial fibrillation; Cardiovascular prevention; Health policies; Migration; Minority groups; Stroke