Evaluating any association between inflammatory diseases and connective tissue disorders with presence of atrial fibrillation/flutter

IntroductionThe role of inflammatory disease in the occurrence of atrial fibrillation/flutter (Afib/flut) is not well studied. The goal of this study was to evaluate any association between inflammatory and autoimmune disorders with the occurrences of Afib/flut using a large database MethodsUsing Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) database and ICD-10 codes for afib/flut and inflammatory disease for the years 2016-2020, we evaluated the above association. ResultsA total of 23,037,013 patients were identified with a diagnosis of Afib/aflut. The following diseases were independently associated with the presence of atrial fibrillation despite adjustment for age, demographics, and traditional risk factors: Rheumatoid arthritis: OR: 1.05, CI 1.04-1.06, p<0.001, Scleroderma OR: 1.31, CI 1.26-1.36, p<0.001, Systemic Connective Tissue Disorders: OR: 1.07, CI 1.05-1.08, p<0.001, Antiphospholipid Syndrome: OR:1.36, CI: 1.31-1.42, p<001, Lupus: OR: 1.15, CI: 1.13-1.17 p<0.001 and Reynauds Syndrome: OR:1.1, CI: 1.07-1.13, p<0.001, Ankylosing Spondylitis was not associated with Afib/Aflut. ConclusionUsing a large database, we confirmed that numerous inflammatory diseases and some connective tissue disorders are independently associated with the presence of Afib/Aflut.