Extract

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a risk factor for systemic arterial and also of venous thromboembolism. AF is known to induce a prothrombotic state and an increased inflammatory activity. Clinical pulmonary embolism is a common cause of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Because AF have been shown to increase the risk for pulmonary embolism, it may also cause silent subclinical pulmonary embolism. AF might thus also be a causal factor with respect to PAH secondary to widespread damage to the pulmonary vasculature over time, but also other mechanisms with suboptimal resolution of peripheral thrombus, and transformation from “red clots” to “white clots”.

Purpose: To investigate a potential association between AF and incidence of PAH.

Methods: A total of 544748 patients with a first diagnosis of AF 1987–2013 and without previous venous thromboembolism or PAH were identified from the Swedish inpatient registry, and matched for age, sex and county with 1112363 controls without AF, venous thromboembolism or PAH identified from the total population registry. Cases and controls were followed prospectively with respect to a diagnosis of PAH in the registry.

You do not currently have access to this article.