Elsevier

Journal of Cardiology

Volume 64, Issue 3, September 2014, Pages 211-217
Journal of Cardiology

Original article
Complexity of atrial fibrillation patients and management in Chinese ethnicity in routine daily practice: Insights from the RealiseAF Taiwanese cohort

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jjcc.2014.01.010Get rights and content
Under an Elsevier user license
open archive

Abstract

Background

Most atrial fibrillation (AF) epidemiology described Western populations; there is a paucity of data from Chinese ethnicity. This study presented differences in patient characteristics and management strategies, and assessed the quality of life (QoL) and AF control in Taiwanese patients from RealiseAF.

Methods

RealiseAF enrolled 10,523 patients internationally, in which Taiwanese cohort accounts for 7.1%. Physicians were randomly selected from a global list. Patient characteristics, management and therapeutic strategies of AF, QoL measured by the EQ-5D questionnaire, and the control of AF (in sinus rhythm, or AF with a ventricular rate ≤80 beats per minute) evaluated by electrocardiography were assessed.

Results

Taiwanese patients were mostly outpatients (93.9%), older (70.2 ± 11.8 years), accompanied by more comorbidities, more frequently (51.7%) in permanent AF, and symptomatic (European Heart Rhythm Association score ≥II: 81.5%) compared with the non-Taiwanese cohort. A rhythm-control strategy was less preferable to rate-control than in non-Taiwanese cohort as well as the use of class I and III antiarrhythmic drugs (AADs); 85.2% of Taiwanese patients received AADs, among which beta-blockers were the most common (46.9%). QoL was compromised (Visual Analogue Scale: 70.3 ± 14.4; single index utility score: 0.81 ± 0.25) and only 48.6% of the Taiwanese patients had AF controlled.

Conclusions

AF complexity in the Taiwanese cohort was similar to or even greater than that in the non-Taiwanese cohort. The Taiwanese patients were highly symptomatic; QoL was impaired despite the widespread use of medications and AF control was unsatisfactory. There is an apparent unmet need in AF treatment in Chinese ethnicity.

Abbreviations

AAD
antiarrhythmic drug
AF
atrial fibrillation
EHRA
European Heart Rhythm Association
EHS-AF
Euro heart survey on atrial fibrillation
EORP-AF
EuroObservational research programme atrial fibrillation
PREFER in AF
prevention of thromboembolic events – European registry in atrial fibrillation
QoL
quality of life
RealiseAF
real-life global survey evaluating patients with atrial fibrillation
RecordAF
registry on cardiac rhythm disorders
RecordAF-AP
registry on cardiac rhythm disorders – Asia Pacific

Keywords

Atrial fibrillation
Epidemiology
Antiarrhythmic drugs
Quality of life

Cited by (0)