Proteinuria may help predict AF in elderly patients with diabetes: Study

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is considered an independent risk factor for atrial fibrillation (AF). The excess risk in relation to the presence of proteinuria has not been well elucidated.

A study was conducted by a group of researchers from Korea to determine the association between the incidence of atrial fibrillation (AF) and proteinuria in diabetic population.

A total of 240,499 individuals aged ≥ 60 years from the Korea National Health Insurance Service-Senior cohort from 2004 to 2014 were included. 4.2% of individuals with diabetes mellitus (DM) and 3.7% of controls were diagnosed with atrial fibrillation (AF) during a median follow-up period of 7.2 years. Amongst controls (participants without proteinuria and diabetes mellitus), diabetes mellitus (DM) only, proteinuria only, and diabetes mellitus (DM) with proteinuria groups, the crude incidences of atrial fibrillation (AF) were 0.58, 0.70, 0.96, 1.24 per 100 person-years respectively.

The results of the study are as follows:

• Compared with controls, the weighted risk of atrial fibrillation (AF) was increased by 11%, 48%, and 66% in the diabetes mellitus (DM) only, proteinuria only, and diabetes mellitus (DM) with proteinuria groups, respectively.
• Degree of proteinuria in diabetic patients was associated with a significantly higher rate of incident atrial fibrillation (AF) in dose-dependent manner.

Thus, the researchers concluded that assessing proteinuria by a simple urine dipstick test could provide a useful adjunct to risk assessment for atrial fibrillation (AF) in elderly population with diabetes mellitus (DM).

Reference:

A study titled, "Association of proteinuria and incident atrial fibrillation in patients with diabetes mellitus: a population-based senior cohort study" by Kim J et. al published in the Scientific Reports.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-96483-5