Markers associated with atrial fibrillation in hypertensive patients

Aim. To identify associations between cardiovascular risk factors, cardiac remodeling and paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients with hypertension (HTN).

Material and methods. A total of 120 patients with grade I and II HTN were examined. They were divided into two groups as follows: the study group (n=60) — paroxysmal AF; comparison group (n=60) — without AF. All patients underwent anthropometric measurements, assessment of the main risk cardiovascular factors, blood lipid profile, uric acid and creatinine levels, and transthoracic echocardiography.

Results. The following markers of paroxysmal AF in hypertensive patients were determined: high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level ≤1,5 mmol/l, indexing left atrial (LA) volume by height (>18,5 ml/m² in men and >16,5 ml/m² in women), indexing LA volume by body surface area (>34 ml/m² for both sexes), left ventricular end-diastolic dimension/height index ≥2,89 cm/m, peak late diastolic filling transmitral velocity ≤0,78 m/s.

Conclusion. A decrease in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and peak late diastolic filling transmitral velocity, LA dilation, and an increase in the left ventricular end-diastolic dimension/height index are associated with paroxysmal AF in patients with hypertension and can be further included in the related risk stratification.

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