Heart failure & cardiomyopathies
Characterizing Atrial Fibrillation in Patients with and Without Heart Failure Across the Ejection Fraction Spectrum: Incidence, Prevalence, and Treatment Strategies
Authors' conclusion
Atrial fibrillation prevalence, anticoagulant use, and AF-related procedures increased over time regardless of HF, with HF patients more likely receiving AF treatments. In HF, despite higher AF prevalence and incidence in HFpEF, AF treatment use remained modest
Study context
- Population
- Patients with heart failure (HF) (Swedish HF Registry, 2005–2021) and matched patients without HF50% with HF
- Participants
- 195,106 patients
- Exposure
- HF vs no HF, across the ejection fraction (EF) spectrum
- Outcome
- AF incidence, prevalence and treatment strategies
Methodological detailsmatched 1:1 by sex, age and county of residence, Swedish HF Registry
- Matched 1:1 by sex, age and county of residence
- Swedish HF Registry
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Incident AF · median follow-up 3.7 years
Each group vs Non-HFHazard ratio (95% CI)
HF86 210 patients without AF
2.76(2.45–3.12)
HFpEF
3.12(2.65–3.67)
HFrEF
2.68(2.34–3.06)
HFmrEF
2.53(2.17–2.94)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
| Outcome | HF | Non-HF |
|---|---|---|
| AF prevalence, 2006 to 2021 | 57% to 58% | 8% to 11% |
Atrial fibrillation (AF) treatments
- HF patients, particularly HFrEF, more likely receiving AF treatments than those without HF
- Over time, antiarrhythmic use decreased; rate control drugs, OAC use and AF-related procedures increased, regardless of HF and EF
Original publication
Characterizing Atrial Fibrillation in Patients with and Without Heart Failure Across the Ejection Fraction Spectrum: Incidence, Prevalence, and Treatment Strategies. Eur J Heart Fail. Published 1 August 2024. doi:10.
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it