BMC Cardiovasc Disord. 2025 Jul 5;25(1):488. doi: 10.1186/s12872-025-04947-7.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: This study comprehensively examines the global burden of atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter (AF/AFL) attributable to high alcohol use from 1990 to 2021, analyzing temporal trends, regional disparities, and sociodemographic determinants using data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021 (GBD 2021).
METHODS: We extracted GBD 2021 estimates on deaths, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), and age-standardized rates (ASRs) for AF/AFL due to high alcohol use across 204 countries. Joinpoint analysis and age-period-cohort (APC) modeling were employed to assess temporal trends and disentangle age, period, and cohort effects.
RESULTS: In 2021, AF/AFL attributable to high alcohol use contributed to 11,908 deaths (95% UI: 8,860, 14,981) and 362,698 DALYs (95% UI: 263,321, 465,594) globally, marking increases of 176.4% and 132.9%, respectively, since 1990. While age-standardized death rates (ASDR) remained stable (0.2 per 100,000), males bore 2.3-fold higher mortality and 3.7-fold greater DALYs than females. Western Europe had the highest burden (4,589 deaths; 109,934 DALYs), while Oceania reported the lowest (2 deaths; 68 DALYs). High Socio-Demographic Index (SDI) regions exhibited the largest absolute burden, yet low-middle SDI regions experienced the steepest ASDR growth (estimated annual percentage change (EAPC) of ASDR is 2.01%). APC models revealed diverging sex-specific trends: male mortality marginally increased (net drift = 0.091%/year) versus significant female declines (-0.925%/year). The mortality rates are notably elevated in the age groups of 30-39 and those over 75 years, with the highest peak observed in individuals aged 95 and above.
CONCLUSION: AF/AFL attributable to high alcohol use remains a critical public health challenge, disproportionately affecting males, high-SDI regions, and aging populations. Targeted interventions addressing alcohol consumption patterns, gender-specific risk mitigation, and healthcare disparities are urgently needed to reduce the growing burden, particularly in regions with accelerating trends.
PMID:40618031 | DOI:10.1186/s12872-025-04947-7