Faculty Collaboration Database

Relationship between body mass index and left atrial appendage thrombus in nonvalvular atrial fibrillation. J Thromb Thrombolysis 2016 May;41(4):613-8

Date

08/19/2015

Pubmed ID

26282111

DOI

10.1007/s11239-015-1266-7

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-84939435161 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   12 Citations

Abstract

Atrial fibrillation and obesity are two major growing epidemics in the United States and globally. Obese people are at the increased risk of developing atrial fibrillation. The contribution of obesity as an independent risk factor for stroke in the setting of atrial fibrillation remains unclear. We tested the hypothesis that non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) patients with increased body mass index (BMI) would be at increased risk for the development of left atrial appendage thrombus (LAAT). Consecutive, anticoagulation naïve patients with NVAF referred for a transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) between January 1, 2007 and October 21, 2009 were approached for study participation. All clinical, laboratory, and TEE measurement data were collected prospectively. Within a group of 400 anticoagulation naïve NVAF patients (mean age 63 ± 15 years, 28 % women; 17 % with LAAT) the prevalence of LAAT was similar across all BMI categories (normal 13 %, overweight 19 %, obese 16 %, morbidly obese 16 %; p = 0.71). Despite a higher CHADS2 score and a higher prevalence of both hypertension and diabetes mellitus, elevated BMI was not an independent predictor of LAAT when analyzed as either a continuous variable, across BMI WHO categories, a dichotomous variable stratified at values above versus below 27 kg/m(2), or BMI stratified on atrial fibrillation duration. Despite a higher prevalence of major risk factors for thromboembolism, the prevalence of LAAT was not increased in overweight, obese, and morbidly obese patients.

Author List

Cohoon KP, McBane RD, Ammash N, Slusser JP, Grill DE, Wysokinski WE

Author

Kevin Cohoon DO Assistant Professor in the Medicine department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Aged
Atrial Appendage
Atrial Fibrillation
Body Mass Index
Diabetes Complications
Echocardiography, Transesophageal
Female
Humans
Hypertension
Male
Middle Aged
Obesity
Prevalence
Risk Factors
Thrombosis