Association between Age of Onset of Hypertension and Incident Atrial Fibrillation

Abstract

We investigated whether age at hypertension (HTN) onset was associated with the risk of atrial fibrillation (AF) in the general population. This prospective longitudinal community-based cohort study included 9892 participants without AF at baseline, who underwent biennial electrocardiography for a median duration of 11.5 years. The participants were divided into five groups, consisting of a normotensive group (Group-N) and four HTN groups based on HTN onset age: <45 years (Group-H1); 45-54 years (Group-H2); 55-64 years (Group-H3); and >= 65 years (Group-H4). A multivariate Cox proportional hazards model showed that the presence of HTN at baseline was associated with higher AF risk (hazard ratio [HR], 1.93; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.32-2.80). The participants in Group-H1 had the highest risk of AF (HR 3.18; CI 1.74-5.82), and the risk of AF decreased as HTN onset age increased across the four HTN groups (p for trend = 0.014). The AF onset age was significantly younger in participants in Group-H1 than in Groups-H2-H4. Early-onset HTN was associated with an increased risk of AF, and younger onset of AF in the general population. Surveillance for AF should be considered at a younger age in individuals with HTN.