INCIDENCE OF THE ATRIAL FIBRILATION IN PATIENTSWITH DILATED CARDIOMYOPATHY
Abstract:
Chronic heart failure is considered the most costly cardiovascular disease, which is also
valid in Romania’s case. One of the most frequent aggravation and death causes in the case of
CHF is dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) rhythm disorders. The aim of the present paper is to assess
the prevalence of atrial fibrillation (AF) in DCM patients hospitalized in the Rehabilitation
Hospital of Cluj-Napoca. Material and method: 164 patients diagnosed with DCM based on ESC
criteria were included in the study, out of a total of 470 patients suffering from NYHA I-IV CHF
functional class, hospitalized in the Rehabilitation Hospital between 2003 and 2004. They were divided
in two study groups: group I- including 136 patients with cardiac rhythm disorders and group 1Iincluding
28 patients suffering from DCM, however with no rhythm disorders. CHF was defined
based on European Society for Cardiology criteria set in 2008 (3). We analyzed the types of rhythm
disorders in group 1, the recommended antiarrhythmic drugs, as well as the comparative
characteristics of the two study groups from age, sex, cardiovascular risk factors, CHF aetiology,
ECG and echocardiography parameters, ECG Holter/24 hours monitoring viewpoints. The statistic
analysis was based on t-Student test. Results: The prevalence of the rhythm disorders in the 470 CHF
patients was of 82.9%. The arrhythmia with the highest prevalence in group one was atrial
fibrillation, in 45.6% (62 patients). The distribution of arrythmias in patients with sinus rhythm at
rest (27.94%-38p) was paroxysmal AF episodes -57.89% (22 p) and different types of extra
systolic arrhythmia -41.10% (16p). At the same time, 36 patients (26.4 %) exhibited
atrioventricular blocks of various degrees, major LBBB, sinus tachycardia and paroxysmal
supraventricular tachycardia. In conclusion, the arrhythmia with the highest prevalence in DCM
patients is represented by ischemic and toxic AF.
full text article in English (.EN) |