Factors increasing the risk of atrial fibrillation and hyperuricemia in geriatric normotensive patients

Aim: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a supraventricular tachyarrhythmia characterized by uncontrolled atrial electrical activity.Hyperuricemia is a metabolic disease caused by an imbalance in purine metabolism and the production and excretion of uric acid.Although some studies report a significant association between hyperuricemia and AF, few studies have examined this relationship in the elderly population.This study aimed to investigate the relationship between hyperuricemia and atrial fibrillation in elderly individuals and to compare the other risk factors and mortality status in people of the same age group without AF.Materials and Methods: The study included patients over the age of 65 who had not been previously diagnosed with hypertension, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, clinical/subclinical hyperthyroidism, or heart failure and had not used antihypertensive medications, along with a control group of the same number of individuals without these conditions.Results: Patients with AF had higher uric acid levels.Unlike previous studies, this study conducted in an elderly population found that women had a higher prevalence of AF compared to men.It was also identified that predisposition to inflammation is an independent risk factor for the development of AF.In the very elderly group (over 85 years), the mortality rate was higher, and GFR was lower in patients with AF.Discussion: In the normotensive elderly population, individuals with hyperuricemia had a significantly higher risk of AF.Hyperuricemia may be a marker of AF in normotensive elderly individuals.Moreover, closer monitoring for AF is recommended in elderly women, during infections, or in cases of renal failure.