Clinical Characteristics and Hospital Case Distribution of Atrial Fibrillation at the National Cardiac Center, Benghazi, Libya: A Retrospective Study
TL;DR
Descriptive baseline data on AF from a Libyan tertiary center is provided; findings should not be interpreted as population prevalence or as evidence of causal risk factors given the retrospective, single-center, uncontrolled design.
Abstract
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia and a major contributor to stroke and heart failure. Data on AF from Libya remain limited. To describe the demographic and clinical characteristics of AF patients diagnosed at the National Cardiac Center of Benghazi between 2022 and 2024. Retrospective descriptive review of records of 467 patients diagnosed with AF at a single tertiary cardiac center. Data on age, sex, hypertension, diabetes, myocardial infarction, heart failure, smoking, and hypothyroidism were extracted and analysed descriptively; sex-based differences were assessed using chi-square/Fisher's exact tests. Mean age at diagnosis was 63.5 ± 13.0 years, with the highest proportion (30.0%) aged 60–68 years. Of 467 patients, 51.8% were female, and 48.2% were male. Hypertension (62.1%), diabetes (45.0%), and hypothyroidism (13.1%) were common, and each differed significantly by sex (all p<0.05, higher in females). Myocardial infarction (5.1%) and heart failure (16.3%) showed no significant sex difference. Diagnoses peaked in July–August and were lowest in November. AF cases at this center were concentrated among older adults, with a nearly balanced sex distribution and significant sex differences in several comorbidities. These findings provide descriptive baseline data on AF from a Libyan tertiary center; findings should not be interpreted as population prevalence or as evidence of causal risk factors given the retrospective, single-center, uncontrolled design.