Arrhythmias & electrophysiology
Symptom Preoccupation in Atrial Fibrillation and its Association With Quality of Life: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors' conclusion
Symptom preoccupation is common in AF patients. Behavioral interventions that specifically target symptom preoccupation could potentially increase QoL, reduce health care use, and improve symptom experience in AF.
Study context
- Population
- Swedish atrial fibrillation (AF) patientsSwedish AF patients who completed an online survey
- Participants
- 409 patients
- Exposure
- Association of symptom preoccupation (Cardiac Anxiety Questionnaire) and other psychological variables with AF-specific quality of life (QoL), general disability, symptom severity and health care use
- Outcome
- Prevalence of symptom preoccupation
Methodological detailsonline survey
- Online survey
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Symptom preoccupation present in respondents
37%
Females
59%
Males
23%
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Association of symptom preoccupation with health care use
| Incidence rate ratio (95% CI) | P value | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Symptom preoccupationStrongest association | 1.67 (1.28–2.19) | P < 0.001 | |
| 0.512Incidence rate ratio (log scale) |
Association with general disability
| β (95% CI) | P value | |
|---|---|---|
| DepressionMost strongly associated | 0.45 (0.32–0.58) | P < 0.001 |
| Symptom preoccupationSignificant but weaker association | 0.31 (0.19–0.43) | P < 0.001 |
| Outcome | Estimate | P value |
|---|---|---|
| Association of symptom preoccupation with impaired QoLStrongest association | regression coefficient [β] −0.51 (95% CI −0.61 to −0.41) | P < 0.001 |
| Association of symptom preoccupation with symptom severityStrongest association | β 0.39 (95% CI 0.27–0.50) | P < 0.001 |
Original publication
Symptom Preoccupation in Atrial Fibrillation and its Association With Quality of Life: A Cross-Sectional Study. JACC Adv. Published 8 August 2025. doi:10.
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