Background: Atrial fibrillation is frequently encountered in patient undergoing coronary angiography. The specific features of this group of patients were evaluated in this study.
Patients and Methods: This was a single center prospective study. One thousand consecutive patients undergoing coronary angiography were evaluated for presence of atrial fibrillation and valvular disease. SPSS statistical software was used for calculations.
Results: Of total of 1000 patients, 195 had atrial fibrillation. Patients with atrial fibrillation were more likely to be older (mean age 72.9 vs 67.0 years, p<0.0001), female (37.4% vs 28.9%, p=0.024), hypertensive (83.3% vs 73.8%, p=0.006), have heart failure (25.7% vs 11.6%, p<0.0001), have a history of stroke (15.4% vs 8.2%, p=0.003), and have an abnormal renal function (29.8% vs 21.8%, p=0.022). They had lower hemoglobin (12.4 vs 13.5, p<0.0001), cholesterol (156 vs 169, p=0.004) and triglycerides (124 vs 153, p<0.0001). There was no difference in the prevalence of diabetes, acute coronary syndrome as a reason for coronary angiography or left ventricular ejection fraction.
Conclusion: patients with atrial fibrillation undergoing coronary angiography in both emergent and elective settings are much more likely to have abnormal renal function and lower hemoglobin levels as well as a somewhat lower prevalence of obstructive coronary disease. Additional consideration of possible benefits and risks of the coronary angiography is warranted in this group of patients.
