Meteorological Factors and Air Pollutants Contributing to Seasonal Variation of Acute Exacerbation of Atrial Fibrillation

Objective We investigated seasonal variation of acute exacerbation of atrial fibrillation (AAF) and contributing environmental factors. Methods AAF events, meteorological elements, and air pollutants in Seoul between 2013 and 2015 were obtained from the nationwide database. AAF was defined if a patient visited the emergency room due to any AF-relevant symptoms or signs. Results AAF occurred less frequently in summer than in other seasons (6.71 vs 7.25 events/d, P = 0.005). AAF tended to decrease with an increase of air temperature (r = -0.058). Among air pollutants, NO2 was significantly lower in summer and positively correlated with AAF after adjusting for other variables (β = 3.197). Conclusions The rate of AAF events was the lowest in summer; air temperature and NO2 were contributing factors. The weather and environmental conditions should be considered as risk factors of AAF.