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Low prevalence of atrial fibrillation in Amerindians: a population-based study in frequent fish consumers living in rural coastal Ecuador (The Atahualpa Project)

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Abstract

Background

Information on the burden of atrial fibrillation (AF) in rural areas of developing countries is limited. Here, we aimed to assess AF prevalence in community-dwelling older adults living in rural Ecuador.

Methods

Atahualpa residents aged ≥60 years (mean age 70.5 ± 8.1 years) underwent 24-h Holter monitoring. Participants belong to the Amerindian ethnic group. The mean height in the study population was 147.9 ± 8.9 cm. Oily fish was a major source of food (mean intake: 8 ± 4 servings/week).

Results

Seven of 298 participants (2.3%) had AF. Persons with AF were older than those without (p = 0.051), but there were no differences in cardiovascular risk factors across groups. None of the seven AF cases had been detected in routine 12-lead ECGs taken at enrollment.

Conclusions

Prevalence of AF in older Amerindians living in rural Ecuador is low. Both, racially-determined short stature and frequent dietary oily fish intake might explain the low prevalence of AF in this rural setting.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Medicine, Universidad Espíritu Santo - Ecuador, Km 2.5 via Puntilla-Samborondon, Guayaquil, Ecuador

    Oscar H. Del Brutto, Aldo F. Costa, José A. Cano, Karin J. Plaza & Ernesto A. Ledesma

  2. Department of Cardiology, Luis Vernaza Hospital, Guayaquil, Ecuador

    Ernesto Peñaherrera

  3. Department of Internal Medicine, Luis Vernaza Hospital, Guayaquil, Ecuador

    Daniel Tettamanti

  4. Department of Community Center, The Atahualpa Project, Atahualpa, Ecuador

    Mauricio Zambrano

Authors
  1. Oscar H. Del Brutto
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  2. Aldo F. Costa
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  3. José A. Cano
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  4. Ernesto Peñaherrera
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  5. Karin J. Plaza
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  6. Ernesto A. Ledesma
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  7. Daniel Tettamanti
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  8. Mauricio Zambrano
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Oscar H. Del Brutto.

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Conflict of interest

Nothing to disclose.

Funding

This study was supported by Universidad Espíritu Santo-Ecuador.

Ethical approval

The Institutional Review Board of Hospital-Clínica Kennedy, Guayaquil, Ecuador (FWA 00006867) approved the study.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from individual participants included in the study.

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Del Brutto, O.H., Costa, A.F., Cano, J.A. et al. Low prevalence of atrial fibrillation in Amerindians: a population-based study in frequent fish consumers living in rural coastal Ecuador (The Atahualpa Project). Aging Clin Exp Res 30, 539–542 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-017-0810-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-017-0810-z

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