Arrhythmias & electrophysiologyCohort study
Supraventricular arrhythmia prematurity and the risk of incident atrial fibrillation
- STROKESTOP I study
- Repeated 30-second 1-lead electrocardiographic recordings
- followed for a total of 7 years using national health registries
Authors' conclusion
Supraventricular arrhythmias are frequent in older individuals and are associated with incident AF. Increasing prematurity of premature atrial contractions is associated with future AF risk.
Study context
- Population
- Participants in the STROKESTOP I study (older individuals)participants included, 740 (12.0%) developed atrial fibrillation (AF)
- Participants
- 6,145 participants
- Exposure
- Characteristics of premature atrial contractions (including prematurity and coupling interval) and nonsustained supraventricular tachycardias in relation to incident AF
- Developed AFn = 740
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Incident AF · follow-up of 7.0 years
Developed AF
740 (12.0%)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Supraventricular arrhythmias, including premature atrial contractions
- More frequently found in individuals who developed AF
- 71.08% vs 51.21%; P < .05
Incident AF risk, participants with nonsustained supraventricular tachycardias
- adjusted hazard ratio (95% confidence interval 3.43-6.43)
- 4.70
- Incident AF risk was highest for participants with nonsustained supraventricular tachycardias
Coupling interval of any arrhythmia and incident AF
- adjusted hazard ratio (95% confidence interval 0.81-0.93; P < .05)
- 0.87
- A shorter coupling interval of any arrhythmia was associated with an increased risk of incident AF
Original publication
Supraventricular arrhythmia prematurity and the risk of incident atrial fibrillation. Heart Rhythm. Published 21 July 2026. doi:10.1016/j.hrthm.2026.07.029
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it