Clinical Profiles of Hospitalized Middle Eastern Patients With Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation: Analysis From the JoFib Study.

BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most prevalent sustained arrhythmia and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Data on AF in hospitalized patients in the Middle East are limited. METHODS: We analyzed 536 hospitalized patients with nonvalvular AF from the Jordan atrial fibrillation (JoFib) registry. A prospective multicenter study of 2020 patients enrolled between May 2019 and December 2020. Patients were stratified into new-onset atrial fibrillation (NOAF) and previously diagnosed AF, and their clinical characteristics and in-hospital outcomes were compared. RESULTS: The cohort had a mean age of 70.2 ± 14.1 years, and 48.7% were male. The most common comorbidities were hypertension (77.6%), diabetes (52.1%), and heart failure (31.3%). NOAF patients were significantly younger and more likely to be smokers, whereas those with prior AF had more comorbidities and larger left atrial size. Overall, in-hospital mortality was 6.7% but was significantly higher in NOAF patients. CONCLUSIONS: Hospitalized patients with NOAF are younger, more often smokers, and face higher in-hospital mortality compared with chronic AF, underscoring the need for early recognition and risk factor modification to prevent hospitalization. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03917992.