Vinter N, Cordsen P, Lip GYH, et al. - Among patients suffering from heart failure (HF), findings revealed earlier hospital contact, more hospital contacts, and more hospital bed-days, all in relation to incident atrial fibrillation (AF). Overall, there is an urgent requirement for more evidence on interventions that could avert the risk and subsequent burden of AF in HF.

• A nationwide matched-cohort study of HF patients, including cases diagnosed with incident AF between 2008 and 2018 in the Danish Heart Failure Registry (N = 4,463), as well as matched referents without AF (N = 17,802).

• A multivariable-adjusted 4.8-fold increment and 4.3-fold rise in the cumulative incidence of inpatient and outpatient contacts within 30 days, respectively, was observed in relation to incident AF.

• The cumulative incidence ratios were 1.8 and 1.4 at 1 year.

• Rises in the total numbers of inpatient and outpatient hospital contacts within 30 days were seen in relation to incident AF (multivariable-adjusted rate ratio 1.4 and 1.6, respectively).

• The ratios at 1 year were estimated to be 2.2 and 2.0.

• Relative to AF-free referents, 10.9-fold higher multivariable-adjusted proportion of bed-day use at 30 days and 5.3-fold higher at 1 year was reported among HF patients with incident AF.