Comparison of Patients with Atrial Fibrillation Without Structural Heart Disease and Normal Population In Terms of Urine Catecholamines.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to compare the sympathetic nervous system activity of atrial ���brillation patients without structural heart disease and the normal population in terms of urinary metanephrine levels.

METHODS: Our study was conducted with 40 paroxysmal or persistent patients without structural heart disease and CHA2DS2VASc score of 0 or 1 and 40 healthy controls. Laboratory parameters, demographic characteristics, and 24-hour urine metanephrine levels were compared between the 2 groups included in the study.

RESULTS: Metanephrine value in urine was found to be signi���cantly higher in the atrial ���brillation group (atrial ���brillation group 97.50 �� 17.19 ��g/day vs. control group 74.27 �� 15.55 ��g/day; P < 0.001). The body mass index of the atrial ���brillation group was found to be signi���cantly higher than the control group (atrial ���brillation group 27.26 �� 2.97 kg/m2 vs. control group 24.05 �� 2.24 kg/m2; P < 0.001). In multivariate linear regression analysis, body mass index (beta: 0.266, P =.02) and urinary metanephrine level (beta: 0.522, P = 0.002) were found to be independent risk factors. According to receiver operating characteristic analysis, it was determined that urinary metanephrine value (area under the curve = 0.834, P < 0.001) and body mass index (area under the curve = 0.803, P < 0.001) predicted the development of atrial ���brillation.

CONCLUSION: Our study found that urinary metanephrine levels were higher in patients with atrial ���brillation without structural heart disease than those without atrial ���brillation, and metanephrine values predicted the development of atrial ���brillation.