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Prevalence and clinical significance of interatrial block in very older persons

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Abstract

Purpose

The presence in older patients of an interatrial block (IAB) may be a predictor of atrial fibrillation (AF). The objective of the study was to assess in a group of very older participants: the prevalence of IAB, its association with the presence of functional and cognitive status, of new AF diagnosis and mortality after 2-year of follow-up.

Methods

A prospective subcohort of the OCTABAIX population-based study with 75 inhabitants, all 85-year-olds, at baseline in sinus rhythm were assessed. Functional and cognitive status, nutritional risk, and previous falls were recorded. Participants were classified according to the presence or absence of IAB.

Results

23 patients had IAB (30.7%). We did not observe significant differences regarding gender, comorbidity, functional status, nutritional risk and global geriatric assessment according to interatrial conduction. The patients with IAB had statistically significant better cognitive performance (p = 0.029) and a lower number of previous falls (p = 0.008). During the 2 years follow-up 3 participants (4%) died; without statistical differences between both groups. A non-significant trend to a higher incidence of new-onset AF was observed in patients with IAB (8.7 vs. 6.1%; p = 0.652).

Conclusions

Nearly one-third of very older patients with sinus rhythm have IAB. They had a tendency to higher incidence of AF and no association with mortality after 2 years of follow-up.

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Acknowledgements

Members of the Octabaix Study: J Almeda (Unitat de Suport a la Recerca de Costa de Ponent, IDIAP J Gol), T Badia (ABS Martorell Urbano), A Lobato (ABS Sant Andreu de la Barca), C Fernández (CAP Rambla), A Ferrer (CAP El Pla), F Formiga (UFISS de Geriatría, Servicio de Medicina Interna, Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge), A Gil (ABS Sant Andreu de la Barca), MJ Megido (ABS Just Oliveras), G Padrós (Laboratori Clínic L’Hospitalet), M Sarró (CAP Florida Nord) and A Tobella (ABS Martorell Rural).

Funding

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Geriatric Unit, Internal Medicine Department, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute, IDIBELL, Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge, 08907, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain

    Francesc Formiga

  2. Cardiology Service, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute, IDIBELL, Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain

    Carmen Guerrero & Albert Ariza

  3. Primary Care Centre “El Plà”, Direcció d’Atenció Primària Costa de Ponent, Institut Català de la Salut, Sant Feliu de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain

    Assumpta Ferrer

  4. South Metropolitan Clinical Laboratory, Direcció d’Atenció Primària Costa de Ponent, Institut Català de la Salut, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain

    Gloria Padrós

Authors
  1. Francesc Formiga
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  2. Carmen Guerrero
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  3. Assumpta Ferrer
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  4. Gloria Padrós
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  5. Albert Ariza
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Francesc Formiga.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

The study was approved by the institutional ethics committee of the Jordi Gol Institute for Primary Care Research IDIAP.

Informed consent

All patients—or the caregivers for those cognitively impaired participants—gave their written informed consent before enrollment.

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Formiga, F., Guerrero, C., Ferrer, A. et al. Prevalence and clinical significance of interatrial block in very older persons. Eur Geriatr Med 9, 155–159 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41999-018-0039-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41999-018-0039-1

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