Evaluation of new onset atrial fibrillation relationship during acute coronary syndrome

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in industrialized countries. The condition characterized by symptoms and clinical findings resulting from acute myocardial ischemia is called an acute coronary syndrome(ACS). The etiology of atrial fibrilasyon (AF) includes ischemia, reduced atrial perfusion, inflammation, neurohumoral factors, autonomic regulation abnormalities, elevated left ventricular end-diastolic pressure, and elevated atrial pressure. The development of AF is associated with worse prognosis and adverse impact on in-hospital and long-term mortality. In our study, we aimed to determine the incidence of new onset AF in patients hospitalized due to ACS, to identify predictors of AF development, and to analyze the impact on treatment and hospital mortality of acute coronary syndrome patients managed according to the latest guideline strategies. A total of 118 patients were included in the study and new onset AF was detected in 23 (19.4%) of these patients. Comparisons between the two groups showed that the average age of the patients in the AF group (72.5±11.6 vs. 64.2±12.8 p=0.05), left atrial size (42.4±9.2mm vs. 38.3±4.2mm p=0.047) and LAVI value (41.9±21.4 vs. 26.2±9.6 p=0.003) was found to be higher. Additionally, at 6-month follow-up, the mortality of the AF group was found to be statistically significantly higher (p=0.001). In the AF group, those who died during follow-up had lower albumin levels (3.3±0.4g/dL vs. 3.7±0.3g/dL p=0.031). Our study showed that new onset AF developing during an ACS is more common in elderly patients, with high LAVI values, and in patients with advanced coronary artery disease, and that the mortality of this patient group is higher. Key Words: Acute Coronary Syndrome, Atrial Fibrillation, New Onset AF