Prevalence of atrial fibrillation in middle-aged people in Korea: The Korean genome and epidemiology study

Background and Objectives: The prevalence of atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common sustained arrhythmia, is expected to rise with the aging population, but very few studies have reported on the prevalence and risk factors of AF in Korea. Subjects and Methods: We analyzed 10,012 Korean adults (4,750 men and 5,262 women), 40-69 years old, who were enrolled in the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study. AF was diagnosed by single electrocardiogram recording in a baseline survey (2001-2003). Results: The estimated prevalence of AF was 0.4% {95% confidence interval (CI), 0.28-0.52} in adults 40-69 years old, and increased to 1.0% in individuals 60-69 years old. The prevalence rate for men (0.6%) was higher than for women (0.2%) across all age groups. In multiple logistic regression analysis, AF was significantly associated with old age {odds ratio (OR), 8.15; 95% CI, 3.06-21.71}, male gender (OR, 4.04; 95% CI, 1.90-8.61), diabetes mellitus (OR, 2.15; 95% Cl, 1.05-4.44), and congestive heart failure (OR, 14.11; 95% CI, 2.56-77.70). Obesity, however, did not show an association with AF. Conclusion: The prevalence of AF in Korean adults aged 40-69 years is approximately 0.4%, lower than that in Western populations. Age, male gender, diabetes, and heart failure are associated with AF. Further research in a larger population is necessary to verify for our results.