FREQUENCY OF ATRIAL FIBRILLATION IN PATIENTS OF HYPERTENSION: A MULTICENTER STUDY

Abstract

Objective: To determine the frequency of atrial fibrillation in patients of hypertension presenting in two tertiary Cardiac Care Institutes.

Study Design: Descriptive Cross- sectional study.

Place and Duration of Study: Department of Cardiology, Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) Lahore, from Mar 2018 to Nov 2018 and at Department of Cardiology/Interventional Cardiology, Armed Forced Institute of Cardiology/National Institute of Heart Diseases Rawalpindi, from Oct 2020 to Mar 2021.

Methodology: A total of 400 patients presented at emergency with blood pressure (BP)>140/90mmHg were included in the study after informed consent. Later on ECG was taken on a standard 12 lead format. Presence of Atrial fibrillation was confirmed. All the data was recorded in a pre-structured proforma. Descriptive statistics for data would be computed using SPSS-21. Frequency and percentages would be calculated for categorical variables like gender, diabetes and atrial fibrillation. Mean ± SD would be calculated for continuous variables like age and duration of hypertension. Data was stratified for (i) Age, (ii) Gender, (iii) Diabetes, (iv) Duration of hypertension and (v) Medication for hypertension to control effect modifiers. Post stratification chi square test was applied keeping p-value<0.05 as significant.

Results: The mean age of the patients presenting in Punjab Institute of Cardiology, Lahore was 49.04 ± 7.08 years while was 49.25 ± 7.03 years. There were 294 (73.5%) male, out of which 148 (74%) were from PIC, Lahore and 146 (73%) were from Armed Forced Institute of Cardiology/National Institute of Heart Diseases Rawalpindi. There were 106 (26.5%) females, out of which 52 (26%) were from Punjab Institute of Cardiology, Lahore and 54 (27%) were from Armed Forced Institute of Cardiology/National Institute of Heart Diseases Rawalpindi. The male to female ratio was 2.8:1. A trial fibrillation was noted in 39 (9.75%) of cases while 361 (90.25%) did not have atrial fibrillation. There was insignificant difference for atrial fibrillation in age groups and in both genders and as well as duration of hypertension has insignificant effect on Atrial fibrillation (p>0.05).

Conclusion: Hence, the frequency of atrial fibrillation is low in hypertensive patients. But the value is not ignorable.