Impact of anthropometric factors on outcomes in atrial fibrillation patients: analysis on 10 220 patients from the European Society of Cardiology (ESC)-European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) EurObservational Research Programme on Atrial Fibrillation (EORP-AF) general long-term registry

Aim: To investigate the association of anthropometric parameters [height, weight, body mass index (BMI), body surface area (BSA) and lean body mass (LBM)] with outcomes in atrial fibrillation (AF). Methods and results: 10220 patients were enrolled [40.3% females, median age 70 (62-77) years, followed for 728 (IQR 653-745) days]. Sex-specific tertiles were considered for the 5 anthropometric variables. At the end of follow-up survival free from all-cause death was worse in the lowest tertiles for all the anthropometric variables analyzed. On multivariable Cox regression analysis, an independent association with all-cause death was found for the lowest vs. middle tertile when body weight (hazard ratio [HR] 1.66, 95%CI 1.23-2.23), BMI (HR 1.65, 95%CI 1.23-2.21), BSA (HR 1.49, 95%CI 1.11-2.01) were analysed in female sex, as well as for body weight in male patients (HR 1.61, 95%CI 1.25-2 .07). Conversely, the risk of MACE was lower for the highest tertile (vs. middle tertile) of BSA and LBM in males and for the highest tertile of weight and BSA in female patients. A higher occurrence of hemorrhagic events was found for female patients in the lowest tertile of height [odds ratio (OR) 1.90, 95%CI 1.23-2.94] and LBM (OR 2.13, 95%CI 1.40-3.26).  . Conclusions: In AF patients height, weight, BMI, BSA and LBM were associated with clinical outcomes, with all-cause death being higher for patients presenting lower values of these variables, i.e in the lowest tertiles of distribution. The anthropometric variables independently associated with other outcomes were also different between male and female subjects.