Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32193730›Full record

ArticleActa neurologica Belgica2020

Anxiety is associated with increased risk for atrial cardiopathy.

Zhaolu Wang, Huiyuan Qin, Guilin Chen, Yan Dai, Yingyuan Cai, Xi Cheng, Yun Qian, Ming Chu, Xiaowei Lu

Abstract read
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Acta neurologica Belgica, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
0.7field-weighted citation impact, top 27% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 11 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Atrial Cardiomyopathy: From Diagnosis to Treatment.Reviews in cardiovascular medicine · 2025
    Review
  5. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Zhaolu WangDepartment of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
Huiyuan QinDepartment of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
Guilin ChenDepartment of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
Yan DaiThe First School of Clinical Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
Yingyuan CaiDivision of Neurology, Department of Geriatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Guangzhou Road 300#, Nanjing, China.
Xi ChengDivision of Neurology, Department of Geriatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Guangzhou Road 300#, Nanjing, China.
Yun QianDivision of Neurology, Department of Geriatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Guangzhou Road 300#, Nanjing, China.
Ming ChuDepartment of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
Xiaowei LuDivision of Neurology, Department of Geriatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Guangzhou Road 300#, Nanjing, China. lxw@njmu.edu.cn.
Jiangsu Province Hospital · CNNanjing Medical University · CN

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China 81100858, 81771286
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Anxiety is common in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). The mutual causal effect between anxiety and AF is expected with limited evidence. Atrial cardiopathy is a term to describe structural or electrophysiological atrium abnormality that precedes the onset of AF. This study aimed to investigate the association of anxiety with atrial cardiopathy, giving a clue to the causal relationship of this mind-heart link. This cross-sectional study analyzed 532 patients who were free of AF, atrial flutter, stroke, acute coronary syndrome and valvular heart disease. Atrial cardiopathy was defined as P-wave terminal force in lead V1 > 5000 μV·ms on electrocardiogram or severe left atrial enlargement on echocardiogram. Generalized anxiety disorder was ascertained by a score of > 17/56 on Hamilton anxiety rating scale. Multivariable logistic regression was used to explore the association of anxiety with atrial cardiopathy. A total of 65(12.2%) patients had atrial cardiopathy and 53(10.0%) had generalized anxiety disorder, respectively. Those with atrial cardiopathy were older (74.0 vs 67.0, P < 0.001), had a bigger left ventricular posterior wall thickness (10.1 vs 9.7 mm, P = 0.030), and had a higher prevalence of hypertension (83.1% vs 65.5%, P = 0.005), premature complexes (20.0% vs 6.2%, P < 0.001), and generalized anxiety disorder (20.0% vs 8.6%, P = 0.004), respectively. Multivariable logistic regression showed the significant association of anxiety with atrial cardiopathy (OR 2.788; 95% CI 1.304-5.960, P = 0.008), independent of confounding factors. Anxiety is independently associated with atrial cardiopathy. This association indicates the triggering effect of anxiety on atrial remodeling.

Indexed as

Heart Disease Risk FactorsAgedAnxiety DisordersAtrial FibrillationCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHeart AtriaHeart DiseasesHumansMaleMiddle AgedAnxietyAtrial cardiopathyLeft atrial enlargementP-wave terminal force V1

Identifiers

PMID32193730
OpenAlexW3011170667

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.