Association of Body Mass Index with Outcomes in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation: Analysis from the (JoFib) Registry.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) accounts for the majority of arrhythmias affecting adults. It is associated with an increased mortality and various complications. Obesity being a major risk factor of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases including AF has always been connected to the overall burden of AF, but its role in the development of AF complications remains unclear. Our study aims to evaluate the impact of obesity on the complications of AF in Jordanian patients to establish a proper prognosis since studies regarding this topic in the Middle East are scant. Methods: This study analyzed data from the Jordanian AF study (JoFib), which enrolled Jordanians with AF. Clinical characteristics were compared among patients who developed complications and those who did not. A binary logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify factors associated with AF complications development. Results: 1857 patients were enrolled. There was no significant difference in BMI value between patients who developed complications and those who did not. Male sex, old age, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and higher risk scores were associated with increased odds of developing complications. The oral anticoagulant use was found to be protective. Smoking had no significant effect on odds of complications. Conclusion: The study concludes that increased BMI is not significantly associated with a reduced risk of developing AF complications. Further research with longer follow-up and larger sample sizes is needed to confirm these results.

Clinical Profiles and One-Year Outcome in Middle Eastern Patients With Atrial Fibrillation and Hypertension: Analysis From the Jordan Atrial Fibrillation Study.

Studies on the impact of hypertension (HTN) on the outcome of patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) in the Middle East are scarce. The aim of this contemporary multicenter study is to evaluate the effect of the coexisting HTN on the baseline clinical profiles and 1-year prognosis in a cohort of Middle Eastern patients with AF. Consecutive AF patients in 29 hospitals and cardiology clinics were enrolled in the Jordan AF study (May 2019-December 2020). Patients were prospectively followed up for 1 year, and the study had no influence on their treatment, which was at the discretion of the treating physician. We compared clinical features, use of medications, and 1-year prognosis in patients with AF/HTN compared with AF/no HTN. Among 1849 non-valvular AF patients, 76.4% had HTN, with higher prevalence of diabetes, dyslipidemia, coronary heart disease, stroke, and left ventricular hypertrophy in HTN patients. There was a higher thromboembolic and bleeding risk among HTN patients. At 1 year, HTN patients had significantly higher rates of stroke and systemic embolism (SSE) (4.5%), acute coronary syndrome (ACS) (2.4%), rehospitalization (27.9%), and major bleeding events (3.0%) compared with non-HTN patients. In this cohort, the coexistence of HTN was associated with worse baseline clinical profile and 1-year outcomes.