Acute Exposure to Air Pollution Triggers Atrial Fibrillation ONLINE FIRST
Atrial Fibrillation Friday, June 21st, 2013JACC: June 1, 2013
Objective The aim of the present study is to evaluate the association of air pollution with the onset of atrial fibrillation (AF).
Background Air pollution in general and more specifically particulate matter has been associated with cardiovascular events. Although ventricular arrhythmias are traditionally thought to convey the increased cardiovascular risk, AF may also contribute.
Methods Patients with dual chamber implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) were enrolled and followed prospectively. The association of AF onset with air quality including ambient PM2.5, black carbon, sulfate, particle number, NO2, SO2, and O3 in the 24 hours prior to the arrhythmia was examined utilizing a case-crossover analysis. In sensitivity analyses, associations with air pollution between 2 and 48 hours prior to the AF were examined. Read more
