Demographic and clinical characteristics of patients with atrial fibrillation and cardioversion as planned therapeutic options in the International Registry on Cardioversion of Atrial Fibrillation RHYTHM-AF Polish substudy.

BACKGROUND

Cardioversion of atrial fibrillation (AF) and maintenance of sinus rhythm are the basic strategies of treating AF patients. Precise data regarding the current practice of AF cardioversion in Europe in clinical practice is lacking.

AIM

The primary objective of this prospective observational study was to characterise patients and treatment patterns in whom cardioversion was the planned therapeutic option.

METHODS

Patients with recent onset of AF were included, regardless of when the timing of the cardioversion was planned. Ten countries participated in the study, with Poland contributing 501 patients. The global enrollment period lasted from May 2010 to June 2011. Follow-up data was collected 60 days after enrollment via a medical chart abstraction or a telephone interview.

RESULTS

The average age of the Polish patient population was 64.2 years, and 38.5% of patients were female. Mean duration of arrhythmia was 3.3 years. Paroxysmal AF was diagnosed in 38.3% and persistent AF in 43.6% of patients. The most prevalent AF risk factors were hypertension (75.0%), diabetes mellitus (20.5%), and family history of AF (12.1%). Mean body mass index of study patients was 29.5 kg/m². The most pertinent factors triggering AF were emotion (12.4%), exercise (6.5%), electrolyte disturbances (5.5%), and acute myocardial infarction (3.7%). Only 14.2% of patients were asymptomatic. Previous episodes of AF were present in 83.1% of patients and 58.5% of them had previous cardioversion: 49.8% pharmacological and 50.2% electrical. The most often used anti-arrhythmic drugs were amiodarone (53.4%) and propafenone (32.2%). The rate of antithrombotic treatment was low: 59.6%. Finally electrical cardioversion had been undergone by 165 (53%) patients and pharmacological by 146 (47%) patients.

CONCLUSIONS

The population of patients with AF and planned cardioversion represented typical patients with non-valvular AF and standard symptoms, the vast majority of whom were symptomatic. The study group in terms of comprehensive characteristics is representative of the general population of AF patients.