Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Multicenter Study
. 2025 Jun 2;25(1):424.
doi: 10.1186/s12872-025-04839-w.

Prevalence and associated factors of atrial fibrillation among acute stroke patients at public referral hospitals in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia, 2024: a cross-sectional study

Elias Molla  1 , Yihealem Yabebal Ayele  2 , Tewodros Ayenew  1 , Alemtsehay Mekonen  3 , Agerye Kassa Yirdaw  4
Affiliations
Multicenter Study

Prevalence and associated factors of atrial fibrillation among acute stroke patients at public referral hospitals in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia, 2024: a cross-sectional study

Elias Molla et al. BMC Cardiovasc Disord. .

Abstract

Background: Stroke prevalence and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) lost are rising in Sub-Saharan Africa, where atrial fibrillation (AF) commonly associated with rheumatic valvular heart disease is prevalent. Despite this, there is a paucity of data regarding the association between atrial fibrillation and acute stroke in this region.

Objective: To assess the prevalence of atrial fibrillation and associated factors in acute stroke patients admitted to public referral hospitals from 2020 to 2023, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia.

Methods: Institution based retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted, using sample size of 326, among acute stroke patients who were admitted to two public hospitals, from January 2020 to December 2023, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. Pre-developed check list was used to extract data from the medical registry. Data were entered using Epi data manager version 4.6 and analyzed using SPSS version 27. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used, considering a p-value of < 0.05 as statically significant, with a 95% confidence interval.

Results: The proportion of atrial fibrillation among acute stroke patients was 29.1% (95% CI, 24.3-34.4%). The mean age of the participants was 61.63 years [SD ± 16.24]. Age ≥ 65 years (AOR = 4.37, 95% CI 1.618-11.8), hypertension (AOR = 2, 95% CI 1.12-3.5), heart failure (AOR = 4.95, 95% CI 1.7-14.3) and rheumatic heart disease (AOR = 5.7, 95% CI 1.7-18.8) were significant factors associated with atrial fibrillation in acute stroke patients.

Conclusion: This study found a high prevalence of atrial fibrillation among acute stroke patients, with many cases newly diagnosed at presentation. It recommends targeted policies and screening programs to address atrial fibrillation risk factors, particularly in high-risk groups. Further large-scale research is needed to better understand the association between atrial fibrillation and stroke.

Keywords: Acute Stroke; Atrial fibrillation; Ethiopia; Sub Saharan.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: This study was conducted according to the declaration of Helsinki. Ethical clearance was waived by Institutional Review Board (IRB) of College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Bahir Dar University, protocol number (834/2023). Informed written consent was taken from all participants and patient data confidentiality was respected at all levels, including chart retrieving and data analysis, which was handled by the investigators. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Clinical trial number: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. Sacco RL, K.S., Broderick JP, Caplan LR, Connors JJ, Culebras A, Elkind MS, George MG, Hamdan AD, Higashida RT, Hoh BL, Janis LS, Kase CS, Kleindorfer DO, Lee JM, Moseley ME, Peterson ED, Turan TN, Valderrama AL, Vinters HV; American Heart Association Stroke Council, Council on Cardiovascular Surgery and Anesthesia; Council on Cardiovascular Radiology and Intervention; Council on Cardiovascular and Stroke Nursing; Council on Epidemiology and Prevention; Council on Peripheral Vascular Disease; Council on Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism. An updated definition of stroke for the 21st century: a statement for healthcare professionals from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. Stroke. 2013;44(7):2064–89. 10.1161/STR.0b013e318296aeca. Epub 2013 May 7. Erratum in: Stroke. 2019;50(8):e239. 10.1161/STR.0000000000000205. PMID: 23652265; PMCID: PMC11078537.
    1. Bos D, P.M., Van Der Lugt A, et al. Intracranial Carotid Artery Atherosclerosis and the Risk of Stroke in Whites: The Rotterdam Study. JAMA Neurol. 2014;71:405–411 [cited 2022 Jul 26]Available from: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaneurology/fullarticle/1828513. - PubMed
    1. Tsai CF, TB, Sudlow CLM. Epidemiology of stroke and its subtypes in Chinese vs white populations. Neurol. 2013;81:264–72. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Saini V, GL, Yavagal DR. Global Epidemiology of Stroke and Access to Acute Ischemic Stroke Interventions. Neurol. 2021;97:S6–S16. - PubMed
    1. Kamel H, OP, Elkind MSV, et al. Atrial Fibrillation and Mechanisms of Stroke. Stroke [Internet]. 2016;47:895–900. [cited 2023 Jan 5]. Available from: 10.1161/STROKEAHA.115.012004. - PMC - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources