Evaluation of the impact of atrial fibrillation on rehospitalization events in heart failure patients in recent years

Background: Although we have previously reported that the presence of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) is an independent risk factor for rehospitalization in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) in a population from 1996 to 2002, the impact of AF configuration as a risk factor in a more recent population remains to be clarified. Methods and results: 319 patients with CHF admitted to our institute in 2006-2007 were retrospectively evaluated. The patients were divided into 3 groups in accordance with their basic cardiac rhythm, i.e. sinus rhythm (n= 210), chronic AF (n= 68), and paroxysmal AF (n= 41). During the follow-up period of 19. ± 17. months, there was no significant difference in mortality or rehospitalization events among the 3 groups (p= 0.542). In the multivariate analysis, no administration of β-blockers was the only independent risk factor for rehospitalization due to CHF exacerbation. Conclusions: The clinical impact of AF configuration as a risk factor of rehospitalization due to CHF exacerbation was considered to be decreased in recent years.