Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) Support Group

Atrial fibrillation (AF or afib) is an abnormal heart rhythm (cardiac arrhythmia) which involves the two small, upper heart chambers (the atria). Heart beats in a normal heart begin after electricity generated in the atria by the sinoatrial node spread through the heart and cause contraction of the heart muscle and pumping of blood.

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Heart, Blood & Circulation
/ Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) Support Group

AFIB/MI continued

sautee
sautee
Through an average of 6.9 years of follow-up, there were 648 incident MIs, with a rate twice as high among the patients with atrial fibrillation (12 versus 6 per 1,000 person-years, P
sautee
sautee
http://www.medpagetoday.com/Cardiology/Arrhythmias/42696?utm_source=cardiodaily&utm_medium=email&utm_content=aha&utm_campaign=11-04-13&eun=g0d3r&userid=325714&email=steve.goldstein@cox.net&mu_id=5319799

Here's the link - can't get it copied for some reason.
pacyetep
pacyetep
"The risk of MI associated with the arrhythmia was greatest in black men (HR 2.91, 95% CI 1.62-5.23), followed by black women (HR 2.17, 95% CI 1.19-3.98) and white women (HR 2.33, 95% CI 1.27-4.28). The relationship was not significant among white men (HR 0.86, 95% CI 0.58-1.56)."

The risk was highest for black men, then black women, then white women, then white men. Essentially, afib didn't raise the heart attack rate for white males.


petey
pacyetep
pacyetep
Also, taking anticoagulants makes the higher risk disappear:

Age did not seem to affect the association, but warfarin use did. The risk of MI associated with atrial fibrillation was not significantly elevated in warfarin users (HR 0.76, 95% CI 0.29-1.94), but it was in nonusers (HR 1.92, 95% CI 1.42-2.60), which "accords with previous reports showing that warfarin might provide a protective effect against MI after acute coronary syndromes and in patients with atrial fibrillation who are prescribed anticoagulation for stroke prevention," the authors wrote."

petey
pacyetep
pacyetep
If you are wondering, dabigatran reduces MI more than warafarin.

See below:

http://www.cardiosource.org/News-Media/Publications/Cardiology-Magazine/2013/03/Dabigatran-vs-Warfarin-in-Real-World-Clinical-Practice.aspx

American College of Cardiology

Extract:

However, adjusted mortality was significantly lower with both dabigatran doses when compared to warfarin. Pulmonary embolism was lower compared to warfarin for both doses of dabigatran.

Further, less intracranial bleeding was seen with both dabigatran doses and the incidence of myocardial infarction was lower with both dabigatran doses. Gastrointestinal bleeding was also lower with dabigatran 110mg compared to warfarin, but not dabigatran 150mg BID.

"The previous concerns about an excess of bleeding events or MI amongst dabigatran treated-patients were not evident."

petey