Premature Atrial Contractions Are Associated with Increased Risk for AF

But in the absence of evidence that treating atrial ectopy reduces atrial fibrillation incidence, the clinical value of this biomarker is unclear.

In patients with established atrial fibrillation (AF), ablation of atrial ectopy reduces recurrence. To explore the role of atrial ectopy in predicting incident AF, investigators studied the association of premature atrial contractions (PACs) with outcomes in 1260 outpatients without prevalent AF who were randomized to 24-hour Holter monitoring in the Cardiovascular Health Study. Compared with participants without monitoring, those in the Holter group were significantly younger, more likely to be male, and had longer PR intervals.

During a median follow-up of 13 years, the rate of incident AF was 27%, and the rate of death without known AF was 45%. Individuals who developed AF were significantly older, more likely to be male, and had higher …

Reviewing Author

Joel M. Gore, MD

Disclosures

Grant/Research SupportNIH–National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Joel M. Gore, MD

Disclosures

Grant/Research SupportNIH–National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Premature Atrial Contractions Are Associated with Increased Risk for AF

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Reviewing Author