Sex-specific variations in patients with atrial fibrillation: a retrospective study

Authors

  • Naveen D. K. N. Direcksze Department of Internal Medicine I, Grodno State Medical University, Grodno, Belarus
  • Liudmila V. Kalatsei Department of Internal Medicine I, Grodno State Medical University, Grodno, Belarus
  • Pitadeniya Gamage Cheshani Lakni Department of Internal Medicine I, Grodno State Medical University, Grodno, Belarus
  • Polhengoda Mohottalalage Pumesha Sathsarani Polhengoda Department of Internal Medicine I, Grodno State Medical University, Grodno, Belarus

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18203/2320-6012.ijrms20252383

Keywords:

Atrial fibrillation, Adult patients, Echocardiography, Gender Variations, Laboratory biomarkers

Abstract

Background: The most common and persistent arrhythmia today is atrial fibrillation (AF). There is conflicting data as to whether or not gender plays a role in the association of various risk factors and the development of AF. There are many gaps in our knowledge of the gender differences in AF and many opportunities for future research. The purpose of this study is to determine the clinical, laboratory and echocardiographic gender variations in patients with AF.

Methods: This retrospective study included 90 patients with persistent and paroxysmal form of AF who were hospitalized to the Grodno Regional Cardiology Center for treatment from January to December 2024. Patients were divided into 2 groups. Group 1 consists of 44 male patients, while Group 2 consisted of 46 female patients. The following diagnostic and instrumental techniques of clinical, laboratory and transthoracic echocardiography. The exclusion criteria from the study included patients with chronic rheumatic heart disease, valvular pathology of the heart requiring surgical correction, with prosthetic heart valves, with oncological diseases and with severe concomitant extracardiac pathology.

Results: Female patients with AF were older and more prone to hypertension, while both groups demonstrated high percent of comorbidities such as coronary artery disease, obesity and diabetes. Male patients had significantly lower levels of renal function parameters; and female patients had a tendency to electrolyte imbalance.

Conclusions: This retrospective study illustrates the importance of sex-specific variations in patients with AF for earlier diagnosis and how to implement better interventional strategies to improve latter prognosis.

Metrics

Metrics Loading ...

References

Andrade JG, Deyell MW, Lee AY. Sex differences in atrial fibrillation. Canadian J Cardiol. 2018;34(4):429-36. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cjca.2017.11.022

Schnabel RB, Yin X, Gona P. 50 year trends in atrial fibrillation prevalence, incidence, risk factors and mortality in the Framingham Heart Study: a cohort study. Lancet. 2015;386(9989):154-62. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(14)61774-8

Bisson A, Bodin A, Clementy N. Prediction of incident atrial fibrillation according to gender in patients with ischemic stroke from a nationwide cohort. Am J Cardiol. 2018;121(4):437-44. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjcard.2017.11.016

Siddiqi HK, Vinayagamoorthy M, Gencer B. Sex differences in atrial fibrillation risk: the VITAL rhythm study. JAMA cardiol. 2022;7(10):1027-35. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1001/jamacardio.2022.2825

Gowd BP, Thompson PD. Effect of female sex on cardiac arrhythmias. Cardiol Rev. 2012;20(6):297-303. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/CRD.0b013e318259294b

Peters SA, Woodward M. Established and novel risk factors for atrial fibrillation in women compared with men. Heart. 2019;105(3):226-34. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/heartjnl-2018-313630

Barillas-Lara MI, Monahan K, Helm RH. Sex-specific prevalence, incidence and mortality associated with atrial fibrillation in heart failure. Clinical Electrophysiol. 2021;7(11):1366-75. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacep.2021.02.021

Magnussen C, Niiranen TJ, Ojeda FM. Sex differences and similarities in atrial fibrillation epidemiology, risk factors and mortality in community cohorts: results from the BiomarCaRE Consortium (Biomarker for Cardiovascular Risk Assessment in Europe). Circulation. 2017;136(17):1588-97. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.117.028981

Huxley RR, Lopez FL, Folsom AR. Absolute and attributable risks of atrial fibrillation in relation to optimal and borderline risk factors: the atherosclerosis risk in communities (ARIC) study. Circulation. 2011;123(14):1501-8. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.110.009035

Sinner MF, Stepas KA, Moser CB. B-type natriuretic peptide and C-reactive protein in the prediction of atrial fibrillation risk: the CHARGE-AF Consortium of community-based cohort studies. Europace. 2014;16(10):1426-33. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/europace/euu175

Watson T, Arya A, Sulke N. Relationship of indices of inflammation and thrombogenesis to arrhythmia burden in paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. Chest. 2010;137(4):869-76. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1378/chest.09-1426

Schnabel RB, Larson MG, Yamamoto JF. Relations of biomarkers of distinct pathophysiological pathways and atrial fibrillation incidence in the community. Circulation. 2010;121(2):200-7. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.109.882241

Crandall MA, Horne BD, Day JD. Atrial fibrillation and CHADS2 risk factors are associated with highly sensitive C‐reactive protein incrementally and independently. Pacing and clinical electrophysiol. 2009;32(5):648-52. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-8159.2009.02339.x

Wong GR, Nalliah CJ, Lee G. Sex-related differences in atrial remodeling in patients with atrial fibrillation: relationship to ablation outcomes. Circulation: Arrhythmia and Electrophysiol. 2022;15(1):9925. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCEP.121.009925

Linz D, Gawalko M, Betz KS. Atrial fibrillation: epidemiology, screening and digital health. Lancet Regional Health–Europe. 2024;37:65-8. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lanepe.2023.100786

Pignatelli P, Menichelli D, Pastori D. Oxidative stress and cardiovascular disease: new insights. Polish Heart J (Kardiologia Polska). 2018;76(4):713-22. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5603/KP.a2018.0071

Manea A, Fortuno A, Martin-Ventura J. Oxidative stress in cardiovascular pathologies: genetics, cellular and molecular mechanisms and future antioxidant therapies. Oxid Med cell Long. 2012;3:73450. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/373450

Hart RG, Pearce LA, McBride R. Factors associated with ischemic stroke during aspirin therapy in atrial fibrillation: analysis of 2012 participants in the SPAF I–III clinical trials. Stroke. 1996;30(6):1223-9. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1161/01.STR.30.6.1223

Kavousi M. Differences in epidemiology and risk factors for atrial fibrillation between women and men. Front Cardiovas Med. 2020;7:53. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fcvm.2020.00003

Vitali F, Serenelli M, Airaksinen J. CHA2DS2‐VASc score predicts atrial fibrillation recurrence after cardioversion: Systematic review and individual patient pooled meta‐analysis. Clin Cardiol. 2019;42(3):358-36. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/clc.23147

Farah R, Nassar M, Aboraya B. Low serum potassium levels are associated with the risk of atrial fibrillation. Acta Cardiologica. 2019;76(8):887-90. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00015385.2020.1799573

Downloads

Published

2025-07-30

How to Cite

Direcksze, N. D. K. N., Kalatsei, L. V., Cheshani Lakni, P. G., & Pumesha Sathsarani Polhengoda, P. M. (2025). Sex-specific variations in patients with atrial fibrillation: a retrospective study. International Journal of Research in Medical Sciences, 13(8), 3189–3194. https://doi.org/10.18203/2320-6012.ijrms20252383

Issue

Section

Original Research Articles