Abstract
It is unclear whether metabolic syndrome (MetS) is associated with atrial fibrillation (AF) in an older population with greater cardiovascular risk, including those with chronic kidney disease. The authors investigated the association between MetS and AF in participants in SPRINT (Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial). MetS was defined based on the Modified Third National Cholesterol Education Program. The baseline prevalence rate for MetS was 55%, while 8.2% of the participants had AF. In multivariate regression analyses, AF was not associated with presence of MetS in either chronic kidney disease or non-chronic kidney disease subgroups. Age, race, history of cardiovascular diseases, decreased triglycerides, decreased pulse pressure, and albuminuria remained significantly associated with AF risk. In contrast to the general population, MetS was not associated with AF in the older population with increased cardiovascular risk studied in SPRINT.