The following is a summary of “Higher Risk of Incident Hyperthyroidism in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation,” published in the January 2024 issue of Endocrinology by Huang, et al.
For a retrospective cohort study, researchers sought to investigate whether Atrial fibrillation (AF) could predict the development of hyperthyroidism and related risk factors.
Conducted at a tertiary medical institution, the study included patients aged 18 years or older diagnosed with AF but without hyperthyroidism at baseline. The primary endpoint was defined as newly diagnosed hyperthyroidism during the follow-up period.
The study cohort comprised 8,552 participants. Patients who developed new hyperthyroidism were younger, with a higher proportion of females. They also had fewer comorbidities, including diabetes (26% vs 29%, P = .121), hypertension (51% vs 58%, P < .001), coronary artery disease (17% vs 25%, P < .001), stroke (16% vs 22%, P < .001), and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) (6% vs 10%, P = .001). Although the CHADS2 score was lower in patients with hyperthyroidism (1.74 vs 2.05, P = .031), there were no significant differences in the CHA2DS2-VASc and HAS-BLED scores. Cox regression analysis identified younger age, female gender, history of congestive heart failure, hypertension, diabetes, non-ESRD status, and lower CHADS2 score as independent predictors of incident hyperthyroidism during follow-up. A novel, simple risk stratification score (SAD HEC2 score) was proposed, demonstrating excellent predictive power for incident hyperthyroidism during follow-up.
The findings highlighted the clinical risk factors associated with the development of hyperthyroidism in patients with AF, as identified by the novel SAD HEC2 score. AF emerges as a common precursor of hyperthyroidism.
Reference: academic.oup.com/jcem/article-abstract/109/1/92/7241057