The Prevalence of Left Ventricular Hypertrophy in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation and Hypertension

Background and objective: Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is a common cardiac condition characterized by the thickening and enlargement of the left ventricle as the main pumping chamber of the heart. Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a prevalent arrhythmia with major risk factors such as becoming older, heart failure, left ventricular hypertrophy, coronary heart disease, and hypertension. This study aimed to measure the prevalence of Left Ventricular Hypertrophy (LVH) in patients with Atrial Fibrillation (AF) and hypertension. Materials and Method: From September 1, 2018, to February 28, 2019, this cross-sectional study was carried out on a group of 100 patients who had both AF and hypertension. The study took place at multiple healthcare facilities in Sulaimani City, including the Cardiac Tertiary-Specialization Hospital, Shar Hospital, Emergency Unit, and Shahed Dr. Hemen Hospital. All of the patients had a thorough evaluation that included an echocardiogram, an ECG, a comprehensive physical examination, height, and weight. Data were analysed using SPSS with descriptive statistics, t-tests, Chi-square tests, and contingency tables. Results: In 56% of AF patients, there was the evidence of left ventricular hypertrophy; of whom, 35.7% had mild, 35.7% had moderate, and 28.6% had severe disease. A strong and significant relationship was found between older age, ex-smoking, chronic atrial fibrillation, medication use, hypertension, and a longer duration of hypertension in AF patients with a high prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy. Conclusion: Left ventricular hypertrophy is frequently observed among patients with atrial fibrillation.