Joint effect of atrial fibrillation and obesity on mortality in critically ill patients

Abstract

Background The interplay between atrial fibrillation (AF) and obesity on mortality in critically ill patients warrants detailed exploration, given their individual impacts on patient prognosis. This study aimed to assess the associations between AF, obesity, and 1-year mortality in a critically ill population. Methods Utilizing data from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care (MIMIC)-IV database, we conducted a retrospective analysis of adult patients admitted to the intensive care unit. The primary endpoint was 1-year mortality, analyzed through Cox regression with hazard ratio (HR) and Kaplan-Meier survival methods. Results The study included 25,654 patients (median age 67.0 years, 40.6% female), with 39.0% having AF and 36.1% being obese. Multivariate COX regression analysis revealed that AF was associated with a 14.7% increase in the risk of 1-year mortality (p < 0.001), while obesity was linked to a 13.9% reduction in mortality risk (p < 0.001). The protective effect of obesity on mortality was similar in patients with (HR = 0.85) and without AF (HR = 0.86). AF led to a slightly higher risk of mortality in patients without obesity (HR = 1.16) compared to those with obesity (HR = 1.13). Kaplan-Meier survival curves highlighted that non-obese patients with AF had the lowest survival rate, whereas the highest survival was observed in obese patients without AF. Conclusions AF significantly increased 1-year mortality risk in critically ill patients, whereas obesity was associated with a decreased mortality risk. The most adverse survival outcomes were identified in non-obese patients with AF.