The association between serum albumin levels and related metabolic factors and atrial fibrillation: A retrospective study

The association between serum albumin (ALB) and cardiovascular events has been well established, but the relationship with atrial fibrillation (AF) remains controversial. This study aims to evaluate the association between ALB and AF in a Chinese population. We reviewed the medical records of 2000 hospitalized patients, 1000 patients with AF were included in the AF group, and 1000 age- and sex-matched patients with sinus rhythm and no history of AF were included in the control group. The T test or chi-square test were conducted to analyze clinical baseline data. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess the relationship between AF and ALB. The interrelationships of ALB were analyzed by Pearson correlation analyses. The appropriate cutoff value of ALB for AF was analyzed by receiver operating characteristic curves. ALB levels were lower in the AF group than in the control group (P < .05). After multivariable adjustment, ALB was independently negatively associated with AF (odds ratio = 0.935, 95% confidence interval: 0.905-0.965, P < .05). ALB levels were positively correlated with serum globulin, total cholesterol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, serum apolipoprotein A1, and serum apolipoprotein B levels (P < .05), but negatively correlated with serum creatinine levels (P < .05). The optimal cutoff value of ALB for predicting AF was 37.25 g/L, the sensitivity was 78.0%, and the specificity was 4.6%. Low ALB level is independently associated with AF. Since the current study design cannot establish causalities, further prospective cohort studies are needed to determine this finding.