Article: Impact of Atrial Fibrillation on Patients With Carcinoid Syndrome: A National Inpatient Sample Analysis

Authors: Akhilesh Babbili, Sahith Reddy Thotamgari, Anuj Thakre, Sagar Patel, Udhayvir Singh Grewal, Paari Dominic

Journal: Am J Cardiol. 2023 Jun 1;196:67-69

Excerpt:
Carcinoid tumors are rare neuroendocrine tumors with incidence rates of 1.2 to 2.1 per 100,000 patients per year.1 However, patients with carcinoid syndrome (CS) primarily present with vasodilatory symptoms, and the major cause of mortality is carcinoid heart disease (CHD), which occurs in 20% to 50% of patients.2 Atrial fibrillation (AF) is seen in 18% of patients with CS,3 and the underlying pathophysiology is not clearly understood. Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine [5-HT]) is arrhythmogenic and is believed to be the main culprit in the development of AF in CHD.4 The altered atrium from valvular dysfunction can cause serotonin release from thrombocytes, in turn leading to calcium overload and induction of AF.5 However, there is limited evidence on the effects of AF in patients with CHD. Our study aimed to assess the impact of AF on in-hospital outcomes in patients with CS.

Link to journal online: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0002914923001522