Department of Cardiology, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds General Infirmary, Leeds, United Kingdom.
Multidisciplinary Cardiovascular Research Centre (MCRC) and Leeds Institute of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Medicine, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom.
PLoS One. 2019 Aug 23;14(8):e0220662. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0220662. eCollection 2019.
South Asians have a low prevalence of atrial fibrillation (AF) in comparison with White Europeans despite a higher burden of hypertension, diabetes mellitus and coronary artery disease. The reason for this disparity is unclear but may relate to electrophysiological or structural differences within the atria or variations in autonomic function. We aimed to assess these areas using a range of non-invasive cardiac investigations.
A prospective cohort study was performed on 200 South Asian and 200 Caucasian healthy volunteers aged 18-40 years. All subjects underwent electrocardiography (ECG), echocardiography and anthropometric measurements. Eighty subjects in each cohort underwent 24 hour ambulatory ECG and fifty subjects in each cohort underwent exercise testing.
Compared with White Europeans, South Asians were of a smaller height with lower lean body mass and smaller left atrial size. They had reduced P wave dispersion and P wave terminal force in lead V1. South Asians had a lower burden of supraventricular ectopy. They had a higher mean heart rate and South Asian males had lower heart rate variability, suggestive of sympathetic predominance. Exercise capacity was lower in South Asians.
South Asians have differences in left atrial size, P wave indices, burden of supraventricular ectopy, heart rate, heart rate variability and anthropometric measurements. These differences may relate to variations in atrial morphology, atrial electrophysiology and autonomic function and might help to explain why South Asians are less susceptible to developing AF.
与白种欧洲人相比，南亚人的房颤（AF）患病率较低，尽管他们患有高血压、糖尿病和冠心病的负担较重。这种差异的原因尚不清楚，但可能与心房内的电生理或结构差异或自主功能的变化有关。我们旨在使用一系列非侵入性心脏检查来评估这些方面。
对 200 名年龄在 18-40 岁的南亚和 200 名白种欧洲健康志愿者进行了前瞻性队列研究。所有受试者均接受心电图（ECG）、超声心动图和人体测量学测量。每个队列中的 80 名受试者接受 24 小时动态心电图监测，每个队列中的 50 名受试者接受运动测试。
与白种欧洲人相比，南亚人身材矮小，瘦体重和左心房较小。他们的 P 波离散度和 V1 导联的 P 波终末电势降低。南亚人室上性异位搏动负担较低。他们的平均心率较高，南亚男性的心率变异性较低，提示交感神经优势。南亚人的运动能力较低。
南亚人在左心房大小、P 波指数、室上性异位搏动负担、心率、心率变异性和人体测量学测量方面存在差异。这些差异可能与心房形态、心房电生理和自主功能的变化有关，有助于解释为什么南亚人不易发生房颤。
