| Atrial fibrillation (AF) was one of the most common arrhythmias. In order to prevent and control atrial fibrillation and
its complications, many researches had been performed in the epidemiology of AF. It was shown that the morbidity and incidence rate of
AF increased with the age, especially in 80 years and older; men's morbidity of AF was always higher than women's. The risk factors of
AF were not just limited to the acknowledged factors such as age, hypertension, diabetes, obesity and so on, the hyperuricemia, obstructive
sleep apnea, strenuous exercise, climate were also identified. The studies on AF in our country was later than overseas, which focused
on the cross-sectional study, and no large-scale longitudinal clinical studies had been conducted and compared with the foreign
studies. AF can lead to stroke, heart failure, cognitive dysfunction and even death. In this article, the status and progress on epidemiological
studies of atrial fibrillation, risk factors, and adverse effects were reviewed. |
