Prevalence of Atrial Fibrillation and Relation to Echocardiographic Parameters in a Healthy Asymptomatic Rural Korean Population

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia worldwide and a potent independent risk factor for stroke. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of AF in a population-based sample of adults in a rural region of Korea. Between January 2005 and December 2009, 4,067 individuals (60.2 +/- 11.2 yr old, M: F = 1,582:2,485) over 21 who were residents of the county of Yangpyeong, Korea, participated in the study. AF was assessed on a resting 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) in 4,053 of the participants. Blood tests and transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) were also performed to investigate the relationship between left ventricular mass and AF in the study group. Fifty-four cases (32 men) were diagnosed as AF among the 4,053 subjects. The crude prevalence of AF was 1.3%. It was highest (2.3%) among sixty- and seventy- year olds, and higher in men than women in all age groups over 50. The prevalence in men was 2.0%, and in women 0.9%. In univariate analysis, age, male gender, body mass index, total serum cholesterol, alanine transaminase, serum creatinine, adiponectin level, and ischemic heart disease were associated with AF. Among the TTE parameters, systolic and diastolic left ventricular systolic internal dimension (LVID), and LV ejection fraction were associated with AF. In this relatively healthy population in a rural area of Korea, the prevalence of AF is 1.3%, and increases with age. Of the TTE parameters, systolic and diastolic LVID and left atrial diameter are related to prevalence of AF.

Oropharyngeal Dysphagia in a Community-Based Elderly Cohort: the Korean Longitudinal Study on Health and Aging

This study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of dysphagia and evaluated the association of dysphagia and activities of daily living in a geriatric population residing in an independent-living facility in Korea. Korean men and women 65-yr and older living in a single, typical South Korean city (n=415) were enrolled in the Korean Longitudinal Study on Health and Aging study. Dysphagia was assessed using the Standardized Swallowing Assessment. Data were collected on activities of daily living (ADL), instrumental ADL (IADL), and medical history and laboratory. The overall prevalence of dysphagia in the random sample was 33.7% (95% CI, 29.1-38.4), including 39.5% in men and 28.4% in women. The identified risk factors for dysphagia were men (OR, 3.6, P=0.023), history of stroke (OR, 2.7, P=0.042) and presence of major depressive disorder (OR, 3.0, P=0.022). Dysphagia was associated with impairment in IADL domains of preparing meals and taking medicine (P=0.013 and P=0.007, respectively). This is the first published report of the prevalence of dysphagia in older community-dwelling Koreans. Dysphagia is a common problem among elderly people that limits some IADL domains.