Ankylosing spondylitis: A novel risk factor for atrial fibrillation — A nationwide population-based study

• Published in: International journal of cardiology 2019-01, Vol.275, p.77-82
• Main Authors: Moon, Inki, Choi, Eue-Keun, Jung, Jin-Hyung, Han, Kyung-Do, Choi, You-Jung, Park, Jiesuck, Cho, Jun Hwan, Lee, Euijae, Choe, Wonseok, Lee, So-Ryoung, Cha, Myung-Jin, Lim, Woo-Hyun, Oh, Seil
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Ankylosing spondylitis; Atrial fibrillation; Atrial Fibrillation - epidemiology; Atrial Fibrillation - etiology; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Incidence; Male; Middle Aged; Population Surveillance; Prognosis; Republic of Korea - epidemiology; Retrospective Studies; Risk Assessment - methods; Risk Factors; Spondylitis, Ankylosing - complications; Spondylitis, Ankylosing - epidemiology; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0167-5273; 1874-1754
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijcard.2018.10.024

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory rheumatic disease, associated with a number of cardiovascular diseases. We sought to investigate whether AS increases the risk of atrial fibrillation (AF) in a nationwide population-based study. A total of 14,129 patients newly diagnosed with AS (mean age 41.8 ± 15.3 years, 72% male) were recruited from the Korean National Health Insurance Service database between 2010 and 2014 and followed up for new onset AF. Age- and sex-matched non-AS subjects (1:5, n = 70,645) were selected and compared with the AS patients. During a mean follow-up of 3.5 years, AF was newly diagnosed in 486 patients (114 patients of the AS group). The AS patients developed AF more frequently than the non-AS subjects (2.32 vs. 1.51 per 1000 person-years). In multivariate Cox regression analysis, AS was an independent risk factor for AF (Hazard ratio [HR] 1.28, 95% confidence interval [1.03–1.58]). The AS with tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi) therapy group showed higher risk for AF (HR 1.60 [1.02–2.39]). In younger patients of the AS group (patients