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Background

Atrial fibrillation (AF) represents a well-know complication of hyperthyroidism. Whether patients with subclinical hyperthyroidism have an increased risk of AF is still controversial.

Materials and methods

In our study, we evaluated TSH levels and several cardiologic parameters in 75 elderly patients with AF in the persistent (n= 34) or paroxysmal (n= 41) form. None of the patients showed the presence of other known risk factors for AF or increased levels of thyroid hormone concentration.

Results

Serum TSH values was< 0.5 fiUI/ml in 24 (32%, Group A), between 0.5 and 1 fiUI/ml in 22 (29.3%, Group B) and above 1fiUI/ml in 29 (38.7%, Group C) patients. No significant difference was observed among the 3 groups for echocardiographic parameters. Holter registration showed: Heart Rate [HR (24 hours)] of 67.7+ 10.8 b/m in the group A, 71.8+ 8.9 b/m in the group B and 70.5+ 18 b/m in the group C; HR (Max) of …