Risk of atrial fibrillation in patients with congenital heart disease: Results of a propensity score-matched, nationwide cohort study

Abstract

Aim: The objective was to compare the rate of atrial fibrillation (AF) onset in patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) compared to controls. Methods: Using a large number of samples extracted from nationwide cohort data in Taiwan, the authors used a propensity-matching procedure and multivariable Cox models to assess the risk of AF by CHD. Results: A cohort of 19,439 CHD patients and a propensity-matched cohort of 19,439 control patients were included in this study. The cumulative incidence of AF was significantly higher in the CHD cohort than in the non-CHD cohort (p＜0.001). After controlling for confounding factors, the adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) of AF was 4.23 (95% confidence interval [CI] 3.31–5.41) in the CHD cohort, compared to the non-CHD cohort. Conclusions: A significant association between CHD and AF risk was found.