Association of irritable bowel syndrome in patients with atrial fibrillation: a nationwide population-based investigation

Objective: We seek to characterize the association between atrial fibrillation and irritable bowel syndrome. Methods: We identify 11,642 cases (atrial fibrillation) and 46,487 sex-, age-, and index year–matched controls (non-atrial fibrillation) from Longitudinal Health Insurance Database. Kaplan–Meier, Cox proportional hazards regression methods and competing risk analysis methods were used to assess the association of atrial fibrillation with outcome of irritable bowel syndrome. Results: After adjustment for gender, age, comorbidities and medications, patients with atrial fibrillation had a significant higher risk (adjusted hazard ratio = 1.12, p < 0.01) to develop irritable bowel syndrome than patients without atrial fibrillation. Compared to participants without atrial fibrillation, those with atrial fibrillation had 1.13-fold (p < 0.05) and 1.11-fold (p < 0.05) risk of irritable bowel syndrome in female and male subgroup, respectively. Among subjects aged ≥65 years, those with AF had 1.11-fold risk of irritable bowel syndrome than non-AF cohort (P < 0.01). Among participants with any one of the comorbidities, those with atrial fibrillation had 1.10-fold risk of irritable bowel syndrome than non-atrial fibrillation cohort (p < 0.05). Conclusion: We report that the presence of atrial fibrillation is associated with greater incidence of irritable bowel syndrome and the association is stronger among female gender, age 65 years or above, and with comorbidities.