Atrial Fibrillation in Patients with Acute ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction

Atrial fibrillation (AF) can lead to complications such as stroke and heart failure. The prevalence of AF in patients with MI has garnered increasing attention due to its significant impact on clinical outcomes. Understanding its prevalence and associations with various risk factors is crucial for improving patient management and outcomes. Objective: To determine the frequency of atrial fibrillation in acute ST elevation myocardial infarction. Methods: Descriptive cross-sectional study, conducted at Department of Cardiology, Mardan Medical Complex, Mardan from September 2023 to August, 2024. About 118 patients, already diagnosed cases of acute ST segment elevation myocardial infarction, were enrolled in the study. Atrial fibrillation was considered positive on the absence of P waves and irregularly irregular QRS complexes on surface electrocardiography. Data were collected under the supervision of expert consultant and analyzed using SPSS version 20. Results: Atrial fibrillation was observed in 14% (n=17) of the patients with STEMI. The mean age of the cohort was 55 years (SD±9.29). The study population was predominantly male (66%) with a high prevalence of diabetes (71%) and hypertension (78%). Despite these factors, no significant correlation was found between atrial fibrillation and diabetes, smoking status, BMI, or hypertension (p>0.05). Conclusions: Our study concludes that the frequency of atrial fibrillation was found to be 14% in the participants presenting with acute STEMI. Identifying no significant associations between AF and the common risk factors analyzed, these findings underscore the necessity for more research to investigate additional factors and mechanisms that connect AF with STEMI.