Arrhythmias & electrophysiologyCohort study
Temporal trends of cause-specific mortality after diagnosis of atrial fibrillation
- Retrospective cohort study
- population-based
- UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink-GOLD
Authors' conclusion
After AF diagnosis, cardio/cerebrovascular mortality and hospitalization has declined, whilst hospitalization for non-cardio/cerebrovascular disease has increased.
Study context
- Population
- Individuals aged ≥16 years with a first diagnosis of atrial fibrillation (AF), UK, 2001–2017
- Participants
- 72,412 individuals
- Exposure
- 2016/17 vs 2001/02
- Outcome
- All-cause and cause-specific mortality and hospitalization
- Follow-up
- 1 year following diagnosis
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
1 year
2016/17 vs 2001/02Estimate (95% CI)
all-cause mortality
RR 0.72(0.65–0.80)
CV mortality
RR 0.46(0.37–0.58)
cerebrovascular mortality
RR 0.41(0.29–0.60)
non-cardio/cerebrovascular mortality
RR 0.91(0.80–1.04)
overall hospitalization
IRR 1.17(1.13–1.22)
non-cardio/cerebrovascular hospitalization
IRR 1.42(1.39–1.45)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Deaths in 2016/17: dementia vs acute MI, HF and acute stroke combined
- Dementia deaths
- 67, 8.0%
- Acute MI, HF and acute stroke deaths combined
- 56, 6.7%
- Difference
- P < 0.001
Event rates by patient features
- Older, more deprived and hospital-diagnosed AF patients experienced higher event rates
Original publication
Temporal trends of cause-specific mortality after diagnosis of atrial fibrillation. Eur Heart J. Published 25 August 2023. doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehad571
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it