Impact of baseline blood pressure on all-cause mortality in patients with atrial fibrillation: results from a multicenter registry study

Background:The ideal blood pressure (BP) target for patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) is still unclear. The present study aimed to assess the effect of the baseline BP on all-cause mortality in patients with AF.Methods:This registry study included 20 emergency centers across China and consecutively enrolled patients with AF from 2008 to 2011. All participants were followed for 1 year +/- 1 month. The primary endpoint was all-cause mortality.Results:During the follow-up, 276 (13.9%) all-cause deaths occurred. Kaplan-Meier curves showed that a systolic blood pressure (SBP) <= 110 mmHg or >160 mmHg was associated with a higher risk of all-cause mortality (log-rank test, P = 0.014), and a diastolic blood pressure (DBP) <70 mmHg was associated with the highest risk of all-cause mortality (log-rank test, P = 0.002). After adjusting for confounders, the multivariable Cox regression model suggested that the risk of all-cause mortality was increased in the group with SBP <= 110 mmHg (hazard ratio [HR], 1.963; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.306-2.951), and DBP <70 mmHg (HR, 1.628; 95% CI, 1.163-2.281). In the restricted cubic splines, relations between baseline SBP or DBP and all-cause mortality showed J-shaped associations (non-linear P P = 0.010, respectively). The risk of all-cause mortality notably increased at a lower baseline SBP and DBP.Conclusions:Having a baseline SBP <= 110 mmHg or DBP <70 mmHg was associated with a significantly higher risk of all-cause mortality in patients with AF. An excessively low BP may not be an optimal target for patients with AF.

Automated summary

This study aimed to assess the effect of baseline blood pressure on all-cause mortality in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). The results showed that a systolic blood pressure (SBP) ≤ 110 mmHg or > 160 mmHg and a diastolic blood pressure (DBP) < 70 mmHg were associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality. Therefore, excessively low blood pressure may not be an optimal target for patients with AF.