Interatrial block and atrial arrhythmias in centenarians: Prevalence, associations, and clinical implications

• Published in: Heart rhythm Vol. 13; no. 3; pp. 645 - 651
• Main Authors: Martínez-Sellés, Manuel, Massó-van Roessel, Albert, Álvarez-García, Jesús, García de la Villa, Bernardo, Cruz-Jentoft, Alfonso J., Vidán, María Teresa, López Díaz, Javier, Felix Redondo, Francisco Javier, Durán Guerrero, Juan Manuel, Bayes-Genis, Antoni, Bayes de Luna, Antonio
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.03.2016
• Subjects: Aged, 80 and over; Atrial fibrillation; Atrial Fibrillation - epidemiology; Atrial Fibrillation - physiopathology; Bayes syndrome; Cardiovascular; Centenarian; Electrocardiography; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Heart Atria - physiopathology; Heart Block - epidemiology; Heart Block - physiopathology; Heart Conduction System - physiopathology; Humans; Interatrial block; Male; Prevalence; Spain - epidemiology; Time Factors; ECG; Interatrial block; IAB; Bayes syndrome; Atrial fibrillation; Centenarian; electrocardiogram; interatrial block
• ISSN: 1547-5271; 1556-3871
• DOI: 10.1016/j.hrthm.2015.10.034

Data are lacking on the characteristics of atrial activity in centenarians, including interatrial block (IAB). The aim of this study was to describe the prevalence of IAB and auricular arrhythmias in subjects older than 100 years and to elucidate their clinical implications. We studied 80 centenarians (mean age 101.4 ± 1.5 years; 21 men) with follow-ups of 6–34 months. Of these 80 centenarians, 71 subjects (88.8%) underwent echocardiography. The control group comprised 269 septuagenarians. A total of 23 subjects (28.8%) had normal P wave, 16 (20%) had partial IAB, 21 (26%) had advanced IAB, and 20 (25.0%) had atrial fibrillation/flutter. The IAB groups exhibited premature atrial beats more frequently than did the normal P wave group (35.1% vs 17.4%; P < .001); also, other measurements in the IAB groups frequently fell between values observed in the normal P wave and the atrial fibrillation/flutter groups. These measurements included sex preponderance, mental status and dementia, perceived health status, significant mitral regurgitation, and mortality. The IAB group had a higher previous stroke rate (24.3%) than did other groups. Compared with septuagenarians, centenarians less frequently presented a normal P wave (28.8% vs 53.5%) and more frequently presented advanced IAB (26.3% vs 8.2%), atrial fibrillation/flutter (25.0% vs 10.0%), and premature atrial beats (28.3 vs 7.0%) (P < .01). Relatively few centenarians (<30%) had a normal P wave, and nearly half had IAB. Our data suggested that IAB, particularly advanced IAB, is a pre–atrial fibrillation condition associated with premature atrial beats. Atrial arrhythmias and IAB occurred more frequently in centenarians than in septuagenarians.