Atrial Fibrillation Causing Big Rise in Hospitalizations

The number of US hospitalizations in which atrial fibrillation (AF) was listed as a diagnosis jumped 190% from 1985-1999, increasing from 787,750 cases to almost 2.3 million, according to a study reported in the July 29, 2003, issue of Circulation.

During the same period, the number of hospitalizations in which atrial fibrillation was listed as the first diagnosis among people 35 and older rose 144%, increasing from 154,086 to 376,487. This number is predicted to climb to more than 3.3 million by 2025. In patients with atrial fibrillation, the blood is not pumped completely out of the atria, so it may pool and clot and cause a stroke. The risk of AF is increased by hypertension, congestive heart failure, diabetes, and previous heart attacks.

The risk of AF increases with age, so hospitalization rates have risen in line with the aging population. Researchers found that more than half of the AF hospitalizations occurred in people aged 75 and older. In addition, there was a dramatic increase in the number of discharges of these patients to nursing homes. The researchers noted that compliance with instructions on the use of medications to control heart rhythm and heart rate among AF patients can help reduce hospitalizations and complications.

"We need to concentrate our efforts on measures that will reduce these hospitalizations and the need for long-term care for these patients,” said co-author George A. Mensah, M.D., chief of the cardiovascular health programs at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Atlanta, GA, USA), which conducted the study. "We think there is a need for more aggressive attention to addressing risk factors in women, especially a focus on high blood pressure, because we found that women are hospitalized more than men and because women live longer than men.”




Related Links:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention