Clinical and echographic parameters as risk factors for atrial fibrilation in patients with hypertophic cardiomyopathy

Introduction Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is the most prevalent inherited cardiomyopathy characterized by left ventricular hypertrophy and manifests with atrial fibrillation in 25% of patients, correlating with heightened morbidity and mortality rates. Purpose To investigate the clinical and echocardiographic parameters associated with the occurrence and progression of atrial fibrillation in patients diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Material and Methods The study sample consisted of 72 patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy attending the Hereditary Heart Disease Unit at a tertiary cardiac surgery center. Thorough examination of patients' medical records was conducted. Results Myocardial fibrosis was observed in 68.1% of the patients. Analysis of the data revealed that atrial fibrillation (AF) episodes were more prevalent in older individuals (p=0.035) with a lower ejection fraction (p=0.003). Additionally, a larger left atrial diameter of 49.8mm (p<0.001), functional stage according to NYHA III (p=0.015), a history of syncope/pre-syncope events (p=0.018), patients with an implanted pacemaker/defibrillator (p=0.003), and those with known coronary artery disease factors (p=0.032), particularly dyslipidemia (p=0.049) and diabetes mellitus (p=0.027), were associated with higher AF incidence. Conclusions . This study underscores the importance of recognizing clinical and echocardiographic factors that contribute to atrial fibrillation risk in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, enabling early identification of high-risk individuals and implementation of preventive strategies to reduce the frequency of atrial fibrillation episodes and associated complications.