Association between Epicardial Adipose Tissue and Atrial Fibrillation in Patients with Transfusion-Dependent β-Thalassemia.
Michele MalagùElisabetta TonetGiovanni OrazioFilomena LongoMartina De RaffelePaolo SirugoAndrea CapanniStefano ClóMaria Letizia BerloniFederico MarchiniMarco ManfriniElisa MariOlga SoffrittiMartina CulcasiCristina BallaFrancesco VitaliAlberto CossuMatteo BertiniPublished in: Journal of clinical medicine (2024)
Background: Modern treatments for transfusion-dependent β-thalassemia (TDβT) have allowed patients to reach high life expectancy with no iron overload. Despite survival improvement, atrial fibrillation (AF) has emerged as a relevant issue. AF pathophysiology and characteristics in TDβT are different than in the general population. Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) may play a role but its relationship with AF in patients with TDβT has not been explored. Methods: A monocentric, cross-sectional study, enrolling consecutive patients with TDβT. Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) was evaluated at magnetic resonance. Characteristics of patients with and without history of AF were investigated. Factors independently associated with AF prevalence were analyzed. Results: A total of 116 patients were enrolled. All patients were treated with regular chelation therapy. The prevalence of AF was 29.3% (34/116). Cardiac T2* and liver iron concentration were no different between patients with and without AF. EAT thickness was significantly higher in patients with AF at left atrium, right atrium and right ventricle (5.0 vs. 4.0 mm, p < 0.01, 4.4 vs. 4.0, p = 0.02 and 5.0 vs. 4.3, p = 0.04). Patients with AF presented with older age, (53 vs. 49 years, p < 0.01), more hypothyroidism (44.1 vs. 20.7%, p = 0.01), pulmonary hypertension (23.5 vs. 2.4% p < 0.01), splenectomy (88.2 vs. 64.6%, p = 0.01), higher right and left atrial volume (61 vs. 40 and 74 vs. 43 mL, both p < 0.01). At multivariable analysis, hypothyroidism, left atrial volume and left atrial EAT were independently associated with AF (odds ratio 9.95, 1.09 and 1.91, respectively). Conclusions: In a contemporary cohort of patients with TDβT, treated with regular chelation therapy, prevalence of AF was unrelated to iron overload. EAT was independently associated with AF.
Keyphrases
- atrial fibrillation
- left atrial
- catheter ablation
- left atrial appendage
- oral anticoagulants
- adipose tissue
- direct oral anticoagulants
- end stage renal disease
- heart failure
- newly diagnosed
- pulmonary hypertension
- magnetic resonance
- ejection fraction
- percutaneous coronary intervention
- mitral valve
- chronic kidney disease
- risk factors
- peritoneal dialysis
- pulmonary artery
- type diabetes
- left ventricular
- prognostic factors
- coronary artery
- physical activity
- pulmonary arterial hypertension
- metabolic syndrome
- stem cells
- insulin resistance
- computed tomography
- high resolution
- bone marrow
- high fat diet
- coronary artery disease
- single molecule