Clinical epidemiology of atrial fibrillation in heart failure in Abeokuta, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained cardiac dysrhythmia seen in clinical practice that requires treatment. Data on the burden of AF in patients with heart failure (HF) are generally lacking in Nigeria and Africa. Objective: This study aimed to characterize the clinical and echocardiographic profiles of patients with AF in our clinical practice. Methods: An observational hospital-based study was conducted on patients with AF in the setting of HF seen at an urban tertiary hospital in Nigeria over 9 months. All patients had both clinical and echocardiographic evaluations. Results: A total of 100 cases of AF in HF were recruited for the study. Of these, 54 were men and 46 women. The mean age of the participants was 55.7 (13.3) years (male: 58.8 [10.5], female: 52.1 [15.4] years). The age range was 18 to 86 years for the cohort (male: 32-86 years, female: 18-79 years). Most participants were older than 40 years (88%). Hypertensive heart disease was the most common risk factor, although rheumatic heart disease and thyroid heart disease played a major role in women and most required anticoagulation. Conclusion: AF in HF in our setting occurred at a younger age compared with data from Western Europe and North America. Women were diagnosed at a younger age because of the risk factors. Hypertensive heart disease was the most common risk factor, and most patients required anticoagulation. Studies are needed to determine the impact of AF on the outcome of HF in our setting.