Global trends and regional disparities in atrial fibrillation and flutter burden attributable to high alcohol consumption: findings from the global burden of disease study 2021.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the global burden of atrial fibrillation (AF) and atrial flutter (AFL) attributable to high alcohol consumption (HAC) from 1990 to 2021, and to examine its spatiotemporal distribution characteristics.

STUDY DESIGN

An observational study based on Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) 2021 data.

METHODS

Using GBD 2021 data, we analyzed trends in disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) and mortality for AF/AFL attributable to HAC at the global, regional, and national levels from 1990 to 2021, with a focus on differences by gender, age, and socio-demographic index (SDI).

RESULTS

DALYs for HAC-attributable AF/AFL rose from 155,703 (95% UI: 105,255-206,083) in 1990 to 362,698 (95% UI: 263,321-465,594) in 2021, while mortality increased from 4,308 (95% UI: 3,000-5,597) to 11,908 (95% UI: 7,826-30,753). Males and individuals aged ≥ 60 years experienced the highest burdens. Australasia recorded the highest DALYs and mortality in 2021, while South Asia showed the steepest increases, with EAPCs of 2.95 and 4.18, respectively. Higher SDI regions showed greater burdens, peaking at an SDI of 0.8 before declining.

CONCLUSIONS

HAC contributes significantly to the global AF/AFL burden, with marked regional and demographic disparities. Targeted interventions are urgently needed to address this growing public health challenge.