Prognostic Significance of New-Onset Atrial Fibrillation in Heart Failure with Preserved, Mid-Range, and Reduced Ejection Fraction Following Acute Myocardial Infarction: Data from the NOAFCAMI-SH Registry

Abstract

Purpose

The prognostic impact of new-onset atrial fibrillation (NOAF) among different heart failure (HF) subtypes including HF with preserved (HFpEF, ejection fraction [EF] ≥50%), mid-range (HFmrEF, EF 40%~49%), and reduced (HFrEF, EF <40%) EF following acute myocardial infarction (AMI) remains unclear. We aimed to investigate the incidence and prognostic implication of post-MI NOAF across HF subtypes.

Patients and Methods

We included 1413 patients with post-MI HF (743 with HFpEF, 342 with HFmrEF and 328 with HFrEF) between February 2014 and March 2018. NOAF was considered as patients without a preexisting AF who developed AF during the AMI hospitalization. The primary endpoint was all-cause mortality.

Results

Of 1413 patients (mean age 66.8 ± 12.6 years, 72.9% men) analyzed, 200 (14.2%) developed post-MI NOAF. Patients with HFrEF were more likely to experience NOAF compared to those with HFmrEF or HFrEF (18.9%, 13.7% and 12.2% in HFrEF, HFmrEF and HFpEF, respectively; p for trend = 0.006). During a median follow-up of 28.5 months, 192 patients died (70 with HFrEF, 35 with HFmrEF and 87 with HFpEF) and 195 patients experienced HF rehospitalization (79 with HFrEF, 37 with HFmrEF and 79 with HFpEF). After multivariable adjustment, NOAF was independently associated with all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.79, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.03–3.12) only in the HFrEF group compared to sinus rhythm (SR), whereas an increased risk of HF rehospitalization was found in all HF subtypes, particularly in HFmrEF (HR: 5.08, 95% CI: 2.29–11.25) and HFpEF (HR: 2.83 95% CI: 1.64–4.90).

Conclusion

In patients with post-MI HF, NOAF carried a worse prognosis for all-cause death in the HFrEF group and for HF rehospitalization in all HF subtypes.

Keywords:

• heart failure
• acute myocardial infarction
• atrial fibrillation
• left ventricular ejection fraction
• mortality

Ethics Statement

The study was reviewed and approved by the Ethics Committee of Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital.

Author Contributions

All authors made a significant contribution to the work reported, whether that is in the conception, study design, execution, acquisition of data, analysis and interpretation, or in all these areas; took part in drafting, revising or critically reviewing the article; gave final approval of the version to be published; have agreed on the journal to which the article has been submitted; and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Disclosure

The authors declared that they had no conflicts of interest in relation to this article.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Shanghai [18ZR1429700], the Shanghai Sailing Program [19YF1437900], and the National Natural Science Foundation of China [81270193 and 81900385].