Dietary sodium intake is associated with long-term risk of new-onset atrial fibrillation

Abstract

Background: The association between dietary salt intake and hypertension has been well documented. We evaluated the association between dietary sodium intake and the incidence of new-onset atrial fibrillation (AF) during a mean follow-up of 19 years among 716 subjects from the Oulu Project Elucidating Risk of Atherosclerosis (OPERA) cohort.

Material and methods: Dietary sodium intake was evaluated from a seven-day food record. The diagnosis of AF (atrial flutter included) was made if ICD-10 code I48 was listed in the hospital discharge records during follow-up.

Results: In the Kaplan-Meier curves, when quartiles of sodium consumption were considered, the cumulative proportional probabilities for AF events were higher in the highest (4th) quartile (16.8%) than in the lower quartiles (1st 6.7%, 2nd 7.3% and 3rd 10.6%) (p = .003). In the Cox regression analysis, sodium consumption (g/1000 kcal) as a continuous variable was independently associated with AF events (Hazard Ratio = 2.1 (95% CI, 1.2 to 3.7) p =.015) when age, body mass index, smoking (pack-years), office systolic blood pressure, left atrium diameter, left ventricular mass index and the use of any antihypertensive therapy were added as covariates.

Conclusions: These findings indicate that sodium intake is associated with the long-term risk of new-onset AF. Further confirmatory studies are needed.

Key messages

• Sodium consumption correlated positively with CV risk factors: age, smoking, SBP, BMI and LDL-cholesterol.

• When quartiles of sodium consumption were considered, the AF incidence was higher in the highest quartile compared to lower quartiles.

• Sodium consumption as a continuous variable was independently associated with AF events when age, BMI, smoking, SBP, LAD, LVMI and the use of any antihypertensive therapy were considered.

Keywords:

• Atrial fibrillation
• sodium consumption
• sodium intake

Acknowledgements

We acknowledge the helpful technical assistance of Mrs Saija Kortetjärvi and Mrs Heidi Häikiö.

Disclosure statement

Authors take responsibility for all aspects of the reliability and freedom from bias of the data presented and their discussed interpretation.

Additional information

Funding

This study has received research funding from the Finnish Foundation for Cardiovascular Research, Sydäntutkimussäätiö. Also, provided CME on behalf of and/or has acted as a consultant to: Amgen, Merck. Ownership of some Orion Pharma stocks