Relation of atrial fibrillation to angiographic characteristics and coronary artery disease severity in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention

Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) have an increased risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) compared to patients without. Angiographic characteristics, clinical presentation and severity of CAD according to the presence of AF have been poorly described. We performed a retrospective study of 303 consecutive patients (mean age 69.6 ± 10.8 years; 23.1% women) with and without AF undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. Data on (1) type of CAD presentation, (2) coronary involvement, and (3) number of diseased coronary vessels (≥70%/luminal narrowing) were collected. CHA2DS2-VASc and 2 major adverse cardiac event (MACE) scores were calculated. Presentation of CAD was ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) in 37.6% of patients, non–STEMI- unstable angina in 55.1%, and other in 7.3%. Non–STEMI-unstable angina was more common in AF (69.6% vs 46.6%, p <0.001), while STEMI was more in the non-AF (22.3% vs 46.6%, p <0.001) group. Left anterior descending artery (LAD) was the most common diseased vessel (70.6%) followed by right coronary artery (RCA, 56.4%) and obtuse marginal artery (36.6%). Patients with AF had a significantly lower RCA involvement (47.3% vs 61.8%, p = 0.016), with a trend for LAD (64.3% vs 74.3%, p = 0.069). At multivariable logistic regression analysis, AF remained inversely associated with RCA involvement (odds ratio [OR] 0.541, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.335 to 0.874, p = 0.012) and with ≥3 vessel CAD (OR 0.470, 95% CI 0.272 to 0.810, p = 0.007). The 2MACE score was associated with diseased LAD (OR 1.301, 95% CI 1.103 to 1.535, p = 0.002) and with ≥3 vessel CAD (OR 1.330, 95% CI 1.330 to 1.140, p <0.001). In conclusion, patients with AF show lower RCA involvement and generally less severe CAD compared to non-AF ones. The 2MACE score was higher in LAD obstruction and identified patients with severe CAD.