The relationship between personality, socio-economic factors, acute life stress and the development, spontaneous conversion and recurrences of acute lone atrial fibrillation

Aims The present study was designed to establish the relationship between personality factors, socio-economic factors and acute life stress with development, spontaneous cardioversion and recurrences of acute lone atrial fibrillation. Methods The study group consisted of 116 patients with lone atrial fibrillation cardioverted within 48 h of the onset of arrhythmia; they underwent a series of cognitive tests to evaluate acute psychological stress and personality type. The socio-economic status and other covariates (alcohol consumption, smoking, and body mass index) were investigated. A control group, age- and sex-matched, was selected and compared. In the logistic regression analysis, the presence of spontaneous conversion to sinus rhythm was used as the dependent variable. Independent variables were indicator variables representing categories of stress, Type A behaviour pattern, coffee consumption and body mass index. Variables considered for logistic analysis were only those with independent prognostic value. Results Type A behaviour pattern was found in 23 (20%) patients with atrial fibrillation and in 11 (9%) controls (P !0.001). The mean score among patients with atrial fibrillation was 8 G 2.7, while in control subjects it was 5.5 G 2. The mean acute life stress score among patients with atrial fibrillation was 56 G33, while in controls it was 34G 27 (P! 0.01). Spontaneous conversion of atrial fibrillation to