Assessment of the magnitude of non-valvular atrial fibrillation and associated factors among hypertensive patients at Saint Paul’s Hospital Millenium Medical College Cardiac Referral clinic, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Abstract

Abstract Background: Atrial fibrillation is the most common clinically relevant arrythmia treated globally which is characterized by disorganized and ineffective atrial contraction. It is associated thromboembolic complications and HF which leads to increase risk of mortality and morbidity Atrial fibrillation accounts for 20-30% of ischemic stroke and 10% of cryptogenic stroke and increase mortality by 1.5 to 1.9 times from the general population. Hypertension is one independent risk factor associated with atrial fibrillation. Objectives: The main objective of this study was to assess the magnitude of non-valvular atrial fibrillation and associated factors among hypertensive patients. Method: An institution based cross-sectional study was conducted on 201 hypertensive patients at Saint Paul’s Hospital Millenium Medical college cardiac referral clinic. Study participants were selected by a systematic random sampling method. Interviewer administered structured questionnaire was used for data collection. Data entry and analysis was done by EPI DATA version 7 and SPSS version 26.0 respectively. Means, standard deviations, and percentages was computed for descriptive analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis performed to determine factors associated with atrial fibrillation. Variable relationships are significant at a P value <0.05. Result: This study was done on 201 hypertensive patients with age range of 26-91 years and mean age of 56.38 years, among which 118 (58.9%) were females. The prevalence of nonvalvular atrial fibrillation was 12.9%. Age ≥ 50years (AOR=8.6, 95%CI2.74, 26.91), LVH (moderate and severe) (AOR=4.74, 95% CI: 1.32, 16.94), having diabetes mellitus (AOR: 8.23, 95% CI (2.75, 24.61) and having dyslipidemia (AOR=3.84, 95% CI: 1.40, 10.53) were significantly associated with non-valvular atrial fibrillation. Conclusion and recommendation: Non-valvular atrial fibrillation is common and found in more than one-tenth hypertensive population. Age ≥50 years, hypertensive heart disease, DM and dyslipidemia are particularly at high risk of non-valvular atrial fibrillation which need a clinician’s special attention for early diagnosis and management. Key word: atrial fibrillation, hypertension, Electrocardiogram