Colorectal cancer and risk of atrial fibrillation and flutter: a population-based case–control study

Colorectal cancer has recently been associated with an increased atrial fibrillation risk, but evidence is very sparse. So, we conducted a population-based case–control study in northern Denmark (population 1.7 million) during 1998–2006 to estimate the atrial fibrillation/flutter risk in colorectal cancer patients. We identified 28,333 atrial fibrillation/flutter cases and 283,260 sex-, age-, and county-matched population controls. We searched the databases for a prior colorectal cancer diagnosis, a prior cancer diagnosis other than colorectal cancer, and performance of surgery within 30 days prior to atrial fibrillation/flutter. We used conditional logistic regression to estimate the OR of atrial fibrillation/flutter in patients with colorectal cancer, cancers other than colorectal and in patient with surgery. Among cases, 0.59% (n = 168) had a colorectal cancer diagnosis within 90 days before their atrial fibrillation/flutter diagnosis, compared with 0.05% (n = 155) of controls (adjusted OR = 11.8; 95% CI 9.3–14.9). Beyond the first 90 days after a colorectal cancer diagnosis, atrial fibrillation/flutter risk was no longer increased. There was likewise an increased atrial fibrillation/flutter risk in patients diagnosed with another cancer form in the prior 90 days (OR = 7.0, 95% CI 6.3–7.8). Furthermore, the atrial fibrillation/flutter risk was elevated fivefold in patients who had undergone surgery, whether or not cancer-related. We therefore conclude that colorectal cancer patients are at increased atrial fibrillation/flutter risk exclusively in the first 90 days after cancer diagnosis, but to no greater an extent than are patients with other cancers. The performance of surgery probably plays an important role in this association.