Each study investigator enrolled the first three hypertensive patients aged 鈮?5 years who came for a consultation on the first day of each week for 5 weeks. Each patient's risk factors, history of cardiovascular disease, CHADS<sub>2sub> score and medical treatment were noted and an ECG was recorded. Data were analyzed centrally. A patient was regarded as having atrial fibrillation if it was observable on the ECG or reported in medical records.
The study included 1,028 hypertensive patients with a mean age of 72.8 years. Overall, 10.3%had atrial fibrillation: in 6.7%, it was observable on the ECG while 3.6%were in sinus rhythm but had a history of the condition. Factors associated with atrial fibrillation were age, alcohol intake, structural heart disease and glomerular filtration rate. In total, 76.2%of patients with ECG evidence of atrial fibrillation and a CHADS<sub>2sub> score >1 were taking anticoagulants compared with 41.7%of those who had a history of the condition but were currently in sinus rhythm.
The prevalence of atrial fibrillation in our group of hypertensives was 10.3%; in 1.7%, it was previously undiagnosed. Antithrombotic use was high in patients with current atrial fibrillation, but lower in those who had experienced an episode previously.