Hypertension in the Polish elderly: Insights into prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control from the NOMED-AF study.

BACKGROUND: Hypertension is a significant global health issue, disproportionately affecting the elderly population. In Poland, the rapid aging of the population underscores the need for updating data on the epidemiology of hypertension in the elderly. AIMS: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension among individuals aged 65 and older in Poland. METHODS: The NOMED-AF study, a cross-sectional survey conducted from March 2017 to March 2018, enrolled a representative sample of 3014 participants aged 65 and over, using a multistage, stratified, and clustered sampling method. Data collection included standardized questionnaires and physical measurements carried out by trained nurses. Hypertension was diagnosed per the 2018 European Society of Hypertension/European Society of Cardiology guidelines. RESULTS: The study showed a hypertension prevalence of 82.5% in females and 78.3% in males aged 65 and older. Awareness of hypertension was high across all age and sex groups, with 86.2% of women and 83.4% of men being aware of their condition. Treatment rates were 84.8% in women and 80.5% in men. Optimal control of blood pressure among those treated was achieved in 40.3% of women and 45.6% of men. Women over 80 achieved optimal blood pressure control less frequently than men. CONCLUSIONS: The results highlight the high prevalence and suboptimal control of hypertension in Poland's elderly population, pointing to a significant public health challenge. Despite high rates of treatment, management of hypertension remains inadequate, which emphasizes the need for enhanced strategies in hypertension care, particularly for elderly women.

Electrical Diuretics: Dorsal Root Ganglion Stimulation to Increase Diuresis.

BACKGROUND: Stimulation of diuresis is an essential component of heart failure treatment to reduce fluid overload. Over time, increasing doses of loop diuretics are required to achieve adequate urine output, and approximately 30% to 45% of patients develop diuretic resistance. We investigated the feasibility of affecting renal afferent sensory nerves by dorsal root ganglion neurostimulation as an alternative to medication to increase diuresis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Acute volume overload with an elevated and stable pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) was induced by infusion of isotonic fluid in swine (N = 7). In each experiment, diuresis and blood electrolyte levels were measured during cycles of up to two hours (baseline, stimulation, poststimulation) through bladder catheterization. Efficacy was tested using bilateral dorsal root ganglion (bDRG) stimulation at the T11 and/or T12 vertebral levels. RESULTS: An elevated, stable PCWP (15 ± 4 mm Hg, N = 7) was obtained after uploading. Under these conditions, average diuresis increased 20% to 205% compared with no stimulation. Side effects such as motor stimulation were mitigated by decreasing current or terminated spontaneously without intervention. There was no negative effect on acute kidney function because blood electrolyte concentrations remained stable. When stimulation was deactivated, urine output decreased significantly but did not return to baseline levels, suggesting a carry-over effect of up to two hours. CONCLUSIONS: Electrical stimulation (bDRG) at T11 and/or T12 increased diuresis in an acute volume overload model. Side effects caused by unintended (motor) stimulation could be eliminated by reducing the electrical current while sustaining increased diuresis.

Does atrial fibrillation still increase the risk of death? One-year follow-up results of the NOMED-AF study.

INTRODUCTION: Although atrial fibrillation (AF) is a well­known risk factor for ischemic stroke and hospitalization, its effect on mortality has not been clearly established. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to assess whether AF is an independent risk factor for death. A secondary objective was to evaluate the role of oral anticoagulation in the prevention of stroke and death in 1­year follow­up of patients included in the NOMED­AF (Noninvasive Monitoring for Early Detection of Atrial Fibrillation) study. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The NOMED­AF study included 3014 patients. The participants underwent continuous long­term electrocardiographic monitoring using a wearable vest for up to 30 days. The present analysis involved 2795 patients who completed the 1­year follow­up. The median (interquartile range) follow­up time was 365 (365-365) days. AF was diagnosed in 617 participants. RESULTS: Independent risk factors for death in the patients who completed the 1­year follow­up were AF, age equal to or above 65 years, and chronic kidney disease. The individuals with diagnosed AF had an almost 2­fold higher risk of death (odds ratio [OR], 1.7; 95% CI, 1.18-2.44; P <0.001) and a 2.5­fold higher risk of stroke (OR, 2.53; 95% CI, 1.41-4.44; P <0.001), as compared with those without an AF diagnosis. The participants with AF who received oral anticoagulants had an almost 5­fold lower risk of death than those who were not on anticoagulation (2.9% vs 14.2%, respectively; P <0.001). CONCLUSIONS: AF is an independent risk factor for death and cardiovascular hospitalization. The risk of death and stroke in patients with AF is significantly higher than in the patients without this arrhythmia. Oral anticoagulation in patients with AF significantly reduces the rates of death and stroke; however, its use is suboptimal in this group of patients.

Predictors of ventricular tachyarrhythmia in patients with implantable cardioverter-defibrillator and non-ischemic systolic heart failure.

BACKGROUND: The benefit derived from implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICD) in subjects with non-ischemic systolic HF (NICM) is less well-established. AIM: The study aimed to determine the incidence, predictors, and prognostic impact of ventricular arrhythmias in patients with ICD and NICM. METHODS: The study sample included 377 consecutive patients with ICD or cardiac resynchronization cardioverter-defibrillators (CRT-D, 74% of patients) and NICM implanted and monitored remotely in a university hospital. RESULTS: During the median (interquartile range [IQR]) follow-up of 1645 (960-2675) days, sustained ventricular arrhythmia occurred in 92 patients (24.4%). Of those, ventricular fibrillation (VF), ventricular tachycardia (VT), and both VT and VF occurred in 10 (10.9%), 72 (78.3%), and 10 (10.9%) patients, respectively. Patients with vs. those without ventricular arrhythmia differed concerning sex, left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD), left ventricular end-systolic diameter (LVESD), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), post-inflammatory etiology, atrial fibrillation/flutter occurrence, and supraventricular arrhythmia (SVT) other than AF/AFL during follow-up. In multivariable Cox regression, LVEDD (hazard ratio [HR], 1.05; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.003-1.09; P = 0.03), AF/AFL (HR, 1.86; 95% CI, 1.21-2.85; P = 0.004), and SVT (HR, 1.77; 95% CI, 1.10-2.87; P = 0.02) were independent predictors of sustained VT, while AF/AFL (HR, 1.65; 95% CI, 1.07-2.56; P = 0.02) was independent predictor of VF. All-cause mortality in patients with VT/VF was significantly higher than in subjects without sustained ventricular arrhythmias (35.9% vs. 22.4%; P = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Ventricular arrhythmia occurred in every fourth patient with NICM and ICD during 4.5 years of observation and was associated with significantly worse prognosis than in subjects free of VT/VF. Higher LVEDD, atrial fibrillation/atrial flutter, and supraventricular tachycardia flag patients at risk of ventricular arrhythmia.

Impact of diabetes mellitus severity, treatment regimen and glycaemic control on atrial fibrillation prevalence in the Polish population aged ≥ 65.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a well-known risk factor for atrial fibrillation (AF), but the mechanism(s) by which DM affects AF prevalence remains unclear. This study aims to evaluate the impact of diabetes mellitus severity (expressed as its known duration), antihyperglycemic treatment regimen and glycaemic control on AF prevalence. From the representative sample of 3014 participants (mean age 77.5, 49.1% female) from the cross-sectional NOMED-AF study, 881 participants (mean age 77.6 ± 0.25, 46.4% female) with concomitant DM were involved in the analysis. AF was screened using a telemonitoring vest for a mean of 21.9 ± 9.1 days. The mean DM duration was 12 ± 0.35 years, but no significant impact of DM timespan on AF prevalence was observed. No differences in the treatment pattern (oral medication vs insulin vs both oral + insulin) among the study population with and without AF were shown (p = 0.106). Metabolic control reflected by HbA1c levels showed no significant association with AF and silent AF prevalence (p = 0.635; p = 0.094). On multivariate analyses, age (Odds Ratio (OR) 1.35, 95%CI: 1.18-1.53, p < 0.001), p = 0.042), body mass index (BMI; OR 1.043, 95%CI: 1.01-1.08, p = 0.027) and LDL < 100 mg/dl (OR 0.64, 95%CI: 0.42-0.97, p = 0.037) were independent risk factors for AF prevalence, while age (OR 1.45, 95%CI: 1.20-1.75, p < 0.001), LDL < 100 mg/dl (OR 0.43, 95%CI 0.23-0.82, p = 0.011), use of statins (OR 0.51, 95%CI: 0.28-0.94, p = 0.031) and HbA1c ≤ 6.5 (OR 0.46, 95%CI: 0.25-0.85, p = 0.013) were associated with silent AF prevalence. Diabetes duration, diabetic treatment pattern or metabolic control per se did not significantly impact the prevalence of AF, including silent AF detected by prospective continuous monitoring. Independent predictors of AF were age, BMI and low LDL levels, with statins and HbA1c ≤ 6.5 being additional independent predictors for silent AF.Trial registration: NCT03243474.

Diet in Patients with Myocardial Infarction and Coexisting Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

BACKGROUND: Dietary modifications are recommended alongside pharmacotherapy in treating both diabetes mellitus (DM) and coronary heart disease (CHD) patients. AIMS: The primary aim of our study was to assess the diet in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and myocardial infarction (MI) and to identify dietary differences between patients after the first and subsequent cardiovascular (CV) event. The secondary aim was to analyze the differences between men's and women's diets. METHODS: The study population consisted of patients with DM/T2DM and MI. The research tool was the original author's questionnaire which was collected personally by a qualified dietician. RESULTS: The study included 67 patients with a mean age of 69 ± 8 years, hospitalized at the Silesian Centre for Heart Diseases in Zabrze in 2019. The study found that patients consumed less bread, whole-grain cereal products, fermented milk products, and vegetables than was recommended. A total of 32.8% of patients reported an intake of sweetened beverages, while 85.1% of participants consumed sweets despite being diagnosed with DM. Except for sweetened drinks, no differences in dietary behaviors were found in the patients after the first and second MI episode. Most of the included patients assessed their diet as appropriate. CONCLUSION: The dietary assessment of diabetes and myocardial infarction patients indicates that the diet does not comply with dietary recommendations, thus increasing the risk of a recurrent cardiac event despite a previous MI. No differences between the men's and the women's nutritional habits were observed.

The effectiveness of atrial fibrillation identification using noninvasive long-term electrocardiographic monitoring system (NOMED-AF TECH).

INTRODUCTION: Although it is well­known that longer electrocardiographic (ECG) monitoring allows for detection of paroxysmal silent atrial fibrillation (SAF), it is still unknown how long the ECG monitoring should last to increase the probability of SAF diagnosis. OBJECTIVES: Our aim was to analyze ECG acquisition parameters and timing to detect SAF during the Noninvasive Monitoring for Early Detection of Atrial Fibrillation study. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The protocol assumed up to 30 days of ECG telemonitoring of each participant in order to reveal AF / atrial flutter (AFL) episodes lasting at least 30 seconds. SAF was defined as AF detected and confirmed by cardiologists in asymptomatic individuals. The ECG signal analysis was based on the results of 2974 participants (98.67%). AF/AFL episodes were registered and confirmed by cardiologists in 515 individuals, that is, 75.7% of all patients (n = 680) in whom AF/AFL diagnosis was established. RESULTS: The median monitoring time to detect the first SAF episode was 6 days (interquartile range [IQR], 1-13). Fifty percent of the patients with this type of arrhythmia were identified by 6th day (IQR, 1-13) of the monitoring, and 75% by the 13th day of the study. Paroxysmal AF was registered on average on 4th day (IQR, 1-10). CONCLUSIONS: The ECG monitoring time to detect the first episode of SAF in at least 75% of patients at risk of this arrhythmia was 14 days. Detection of 1 patient with de novo AF, SAF, or de novo SAF, required monitoring of, respectively, 17, 11, and 23 patients.

Subcutaneous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator therapy in Poland: Results of the Polish S-ICD Registry.

BACKGROUND: The use of subcutaneous implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (S-ICD) has been growing in Poland since 2014. The Polish Registry of S-ICD Implantations was run by the Heart Rhythm Section of the Polish Cardiac Society between May 2020 and September 2022 to monitor the implementation of that therapy in Poland. AIMS: To investigate and present the state-of-the-art of S-ICD implantation in Poland. METHODS: Implanting centers reported clinical data of patients undergoing S-ICD implantations and replacements, including age, sex, height, weight, underlying disease, history of pacemaker and defibrillator implantations, indications for S-ICD, electrocardiographical parameters, procedural techniques, and complications. RESULTS: Four hundred and forty patients undergoing S-ICD implantation (411) or replacement (29) were reported by 16 centers. Most patients were in New York Heart Association class II (218 patients, 53%) or I (150 patients, 36.5%). Left ventricular ejection fraction was 10%-80%, median (IQR) was 33% (25%-55%). Primary prevention indications were present in 273 patients (66.4%). Non-ischemic cardiomyopathy was reported in 194 patients (47.2%). The main reason for the choice of S-ICD were: young age (309, 75.2%), risk of infectious complications (46, 11.2%), prior infective endocarditis (36, 8.8%), hemodialysis (23, 5.6%), and immunosuppressive therapy (7, 1.7%). Electrocardiographic screening was performed in 90% of patients. The rate of adverse events was low (1.7%). No surgical complications were observed.

Prevalence of atrial fibrillation in the 65 or over Polish population. Report of cross-sectional NOMED-AF study.

BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia, characterized by an increased risk of thromboembolic complications that can be markedly reduced with anticoagulation. There is a paucity of studies assessing the total prevalence of AF in national populations. AIMS: To assess the nationwide prevalence of AF in a population of adults ≥65 old and to determine the impact of duration of electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring on the number of newly detected AF episodes. METHODS: The NOMED-AF study (ClinicalTrials.gov; NCT: 0324347) was a cross-sectional study performed on a nationally representative random sample of 3014 Polish citizens 65 years or older. Final estimates were adjusted to the national population. All participants underwent up to 30 days of continuous ECG monitoring. Total AF prevalence was diagnosed based on the patient's medical records or the presence of AF in ECG monitoring. RESULTS: The prevalence of AF in the Polish population ≥65 years was estimated as 19.2% (95% confidence interval [CI], 17.9%-20.6%). This included 4.1% (95% CI, 3.5%-4.8%) newly diagnosed cases and 15.1% (95% CI, 13.9%-16.3%) previously diagnosed cases and consisted of 10.8% (95% CI, 9.8%-11.9%) paroxysmal AF and 8.4% (95% CI, 7.5%-9.4%) persistent/permanent AF. The incidence of all paroxysmal AF events as a function of ECG monitoring duration increased from 1.9% (95% CI, 1.4%-2.6%) at 24 hours to 6.2% (95% CI, 5.3%-7.2%) at 4 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of AF in elderly adults is higher than estimated based on medical records only. Four weeks of monitoring compared to 24-hour ECG Holter allow detection of 7-fold more cases of previously undiagnosed paroxysmal AF.

Acute Hemodynamic Effects of Simultaneous and Sequential Multi-Point Pacing in Heart Failure Patients With an Expected Higher Rate of Sub-response to Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy: Results of Multicenter SYNSEQ Study.

The aim of the SYNSEQ (Left Ventricular Synchronous vs. Sequential MultiSpot Pacing for CRT) study was to evaluate the acute hemodynamic response (AHR) of simultaneous (3P-MPP syn) or sequential (3P-MPP seq) multi-3-point-left-ventricular (LV) pacing vs. single point pacing (SPP) in a group of patients at risk of a suboptimal response to cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). Twenty five patients with myocardial scar or QRS ≤ 150 or the absence of LBBB (age: 66 ± 12 years, QRS: 159 ± 12 ms, NYHA class II/III, LVEF ≤ 35%) underwent acute hemodynamic assessment by LV + dP/dtmax with a variety of LV pacing configurations at an optimized AV delay. The change in LV + dP/dt max (%ΔLV + dP/dt max) with 3P-MPP syn (15.6%, 95% CI: 8.8%-22.5%) was neither statistically significantly different to 3P-MPP seq (11.8%, 95% CI: 7.6-16.0%) nor to SPP basal (11.5%, 95% CI:7.1-15.9%) or SPP mid (12.2%, 95% CI:7.9-16.5%), but higher than SPP apical (10.6%, 95% CI:5.3-15.9%, p = 0.03). AHR (defined as a %ΔLV + dP/dt max ≥ 10%) varied between pacing configurations: 36% (9/25) for SPP apical, 44% (11/25) for SPP basal, 54% (13/24) for SPP mid, 56% (14/25) for 3P-MPP syn and 48% (11/23) for 3P-MPP seq.Fifteen patients (15/25, 60%) had an AHR in at least one pacing configuration. AHR was observed in 10/13 (77%) patients with a LBBB but only in 5/12 (42%) patients with a non-LBBB (p = 0.11). To conclude, simultaneous or sequential multipoint pacing compared to single point pacing did not improve the acute hemodynamic effect in a suboptimal CRT response population. Clinical Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT02914457.

Quality of life in patients with a subcutaneous vs. transvenous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator.

BACKGROUND: The implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) and subcutaneous ICD (S-ICD) are well-accepted life-saving devices for treating potentially lethal ventricular arrhythmia, but little is known about quality of life (QoL) in patients with S-ICD and ICD. AIMS: Our study aimed to compare QoL in patients with S-ICD and ICD. METHODS: All consecutive patients who had S-ICD implanted between October 2015 and September 2021 were included in the study. A cohort of transvenous ICD (TV-ICD) patients was matched to S-ICD subjects by sex, age, indications for the device, and type of prevention. All patients were requested to fulfill two standardized questionnaires to assess QoL: 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) and Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ) 6 months after device implantation. RESULTS: Patients with S-ICD (n = 49) and TV-ICD (n = 49) did not differ regarding baseline characteristics. There were no statistically significant differences between S-ICD and TV-ICD subgroup, both for mental and physical QoL assessed in SF-36 and MLHFQ (all P = NS). The median MLHFQ total score was 24 (9-41) for S-ICD and 28 (14-43) for TV-ICD (P = 0.83). The median total score for the SF-36 questionnaire was 62.5 (29-86) vs. 59 (38-77) for S-ICD and TV-ICD, respectively (P = 0.78). CONCLUSIONS: Quality of life after device implantation does not differ significantly between the groups of patients with subcutaneous and conventional implantable cardioverter-defibrillator.

The impact of complications related to transvenous lead extraction on the 12-month prognosis: Insights from the SILCARD registry.

BACKGROUND: Scant data exist on long-term outcomes, including death, in patients with complica-tions related to transvenous lead extractions (TLE). AIMS: We sought to characterize the population and examine the outcomes including risk factors for in-hospital complications and 12-month mortality and morbidity related to the complications in a large administrative database of patients undergoing TLE. RESULTS: From the database of patients hospitalized for cardiovascular diseases and included in the Silesian Cardiovascular Database (SILCARD) registry, we selected the admissions of those who underwent TLE according to the appropriate ICD-9 codes. The patients were divided into two groups based on whether they did or did not manifest any complications during their hospitalization for the TLE procedure. Between 2007 and 2019, we found a total of 835 patients who underwent TLE. TLE-related complications occurred in 56 patients (6.7%) of the Complications-Yes group while no complications were recorded in 779 (93.3%) patients of the Complications-No group. A significant difference in the rate of all-cause mortality (23.9% vs. 6.5%; P <0.001) and major adverse cardiac events (MACE) (58.7% vs. 39.4%; P = 0.01) between the Complications-Yes and Complications-No groups were recorded. Multivariable analysis of the entire study population revealed that prior dialysis, chronic kidney disease, and ventricular tachycardia were independent factors of a higher risk of TLE-related in-hospital complications. Multivariable analysis of the patients discharged from the hospital after the TLE procedure showed that TLE-related complications, a history of heart failure, and older age independently affected 12-month mortality. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of TLE-related in-hospital complications increased 12-month mortality.

Pacemaker-Based Cardiac Neuromodulation Therapy in Patients With Hypertension: A Pilot Study.

Background In prior unblinded studies, cardiac neuromodulation therapy (CNT) employing a sequence of variably timed short and longer atrioventricular intervals yielded sustained reductions of systolic blood pressure (SBP) in patients with hypertension. The effects of CNT on SBP were investigated in this double-blind randomized pilot study. Methods and Results Eligible patients had daytime ambulatory SBP (aSBP) ≥130 mm Hg and office SBP ≥140 mm Hg despite taking ≥1 antihypertensive medication, and an indication for a dual-chamber pacemaker. Patients underwent Moderato device implantation, which was programmed as a standard pacemaker during a 1-month run-in phase. Patients whose daytime aSBP was ≥125 mm Hg at the end of this period were randomized (1:1, double blind) to treatment (CNT) or control (CNT inactive). The primary efficacy end point was the between-group difference of the change in 24-hour aSBP at 6 months. Of 68 patients initially enrolled and who underwent implantation with the Moderato system, 47 met criteria for study continuation and were randomized (26 treatment, 21 control). The mean age was 74.0±8.7 years, 64% were men, left ventricular ejection fraction was 59.2%±5.7%, and aSBP averaged 141.0±10.8 mm Hg despite the use of 3.3±1.5 antihypertensive medications; 81% had isolated systolic hypertension. Six months after randomization, aSBP was 11.1±10.5 mm Hg (95% CI, -15.2 to -8.1 mm Hg) lower than prerandomization in the treatment group compared with 3.1±9.5 mm Hg (-7.4 to 1.2 mm Hg) lower in controls, yielding a net treatment effect of 8.1±10.1 mm Hg (-14.2 to -1.9 mm Hg) (P=0.012). There were no Moderato device- or CNT-related adverse events. Conclusions CNT significantly reduced 24-hour aSBP in patients with hypertension with a clinical indication for a pacemaker. The majority of patients had isolated systolic hypertension, a particularly difficult group of patients to treat. Registration URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT02837445.

Relationship between diabetes mellitus and atrial fibrillation prevalence in the Polish population: a report from the Non-invasive Monitoring for Early Detection of Atrial Fibrillation (NOMED-AF) prospective cross-sectional observational study.

BACKGROUND: The global burden of atrial fibrillation (AF) and diabetes mellitus (DM) is constantly rising, leading to an increasing healthcare burden of stroke. AF often remains undiagnosed due to the occurrence in an asymptomatic, silent form, i.e., silent AF (SAF). The study aims to evaluate the relationships between DM and AF prevalence using a mobile long-term continuous ECG telemonitoring vest in a representative Polish and European population ≥ 65 years for detection of AF, symptomatic or silent. METHODS: A representative sample of 3014 participants from the cross-sectional NOMED-AF study was enrolled in the analyses (mean age 77.5, 49.1% female): 881 (29.2%) were diagnosed with DM. AF was screened using a telemonitoring vest for a mean of 21.9 ± 9.1days. RESULTS: Overall, AF was reported in 680 (22.6%) of the whole study population. AF prevalence was higher among subjects with concomitant DM (DM+) versus those without DM (DM-) [25%, 95% CI 22.5-27.8% vs 17%; 95% CI 15.4-18.5% respectively, p < 0.001]. DM patients were commonly associated with SAF [9%; 95% CI 7.9-11.4 vs 7%; 95% CI 5.6-7.5 respectively, p < 0.001], and persistent/permanent AF [12.2%; 95% CI 10.3-14.3 vs 6.9%; 95% CI 5.9-8.1 respectively, p < 0.001] compared to subjects without DM. The prolonged screening was associated with a higher percentage of newly established AF diagnosis in DM+ vs DM- patients (5% vs 4.5% respectively, p < 0.001). In addition to shared risk factors, DM+ subjects were associated with different AF and SAF independent risk factors compared to DM- individuals, including thyroid disease, peripheral/systemic thromboembolism, hypertension, physical activity and prior percutaneous coronary intervention/coronary artery bypass graft surgery. CONCLUSIONS: AF affects 1 out of 4 subjects with concomitant DM. The higher prevalence of AF and SAF among DM subjects than those without DM highlights the necessity of active AF screening specific AF risk factors assessment amongst the diabetic population. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT03243474.

Predicting Silent Atrial Fibrillation in the Elderly: A Report from the NOMED-AF Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Silent atrial fibrillation (SAF) is common and is associated with poor outcomes. AIMS: to study the risk factors for AF and SAF in the elderly (≥65 years) general population and to develop a risk stratification model for predicting SAF. METHODS: Continuous ECG monitoring was performed for up to 30 days using a vest-based system in a cohort from NOMED-AF, a cross-sectional study based on a nationwide population sample. The independent risk factors for AF and SAF were determined using multiple logistic regression. ROC analysis was applied to validate the developed risk stratification score. RESULTS: From the total cohort of 3014 subjects, AF was diagnosed in 680 individuals (mean age, 77.5 ± 7.9; 50.1% men) with AF, and, of these, 41% had SAF. Independent associations with an increased risk of AF were age, male gender, coronary heart disease, thyroid diseases, prior ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack (ICS/TIA), diabetes, heart failure, chronic kidney disease (CKD), obesity, and NT-proBNP >125 ng/mL. The risk factors for SAF were age, male gender, ICS/TIA, diabetes, heart failure, CKD, and NT-proBNP >125 ng/mL. We developed a clinical risk scale (MR-DASH score) that achieved a good level of prediction in the derivation cohort (AUC 0.726) and the validation cohort (AUC 0.730). CONCLUSIONS: SAF is associated with various clinical risk factors in a population sample of individuals ≥65 years. Stratifying individuals from the general population according to their risk for SAF may be possible using the MR-DASH score, facilitating targeted screening programs of individuals with a high risk of SAF.