Abstract 15201: Association Between Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy and Atrial Fibrillation - A Community Based Case Control Study

Background: Diabetes Mellitus (DM) as a risk factor of atrial fibrillation (AF) has remained controversial. Emerging evidence indicates that endothelial and vascular dysfunction is associated with AF complications. Since there is a close but complex interaction between nerves and blood vessels, we hypothesized that in patients with Type 2 DM, the presence of peripheral neuropathy (PN) is associated with an increased risk in AF development. Methods: Using electronic medical records of the Mayo Clinic AF Database and the Rochester Epidemiology Project, we identified 780 cases of newly diagnosed AF patients and 1,032 controls with no history of AF, matched by age and gender on 1:1 or 1:2 basis, between 1980 and 2000. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was carried out to calculate Odds ratios and adjust for potentially confounding variables Result: In retrospective analysis, the prevalence of diabetic neuropathy was significantly higher in case compared to control (9.0% vs. 5.0%, p =.002), odds ratio 1...