Among the outcomes examined , the highest absolute risk increase was for heart failure .
Associations between atrial fibrillation and included outcomes were broadly consistent across subgroups and in sensitivity analyses .
Atrial fibrillation is associated with an increased risk of death and an increased risk of cardiovascular and renal disease .
OBJECTIVE To quantify the association between  atrial fibrillation and cardiovascular disease , renal disease , and death .
Competing risk analysis of cause-specific mortality in patients with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator: The EVADEF cohort study.
BACKGROUND Although implantable cardioverter-defibrillator ( ICD ) therapy has been evaluated in r and omized controlled trials , enrolling highly selected patients , mortality events in ICD patients have received little attention in routine medical care . We sought to assess the 24-month total and cause-specific mortality rates and their predictors in " real life " patients with an ICD . METHODS The Evaluation Médico-Economique du Défibrillateur Automatique Implantable study was a French multicenter , prospect i ve , observational cohort study of ICD patients with a 2-year follow-up . Cause-specific mortality rates and predictors at implantation of  sudden cardiac death ( SCD ) or progressive heart failure ( HF ) death were assessed using competing risk methodology . RESULTS From June 2001 to June 2003 , 2,296 unselected patients were implanted and followed until June 2005 . During a mean follow-up of 20.5 + /- 6.7 months , 274 deaths occurred : 29 ( 10.6 % ) were SCD and 146 ( 53.3 % ) were HF deaths , corresponding to 24-month cause-specific mortality rates of 1.4 % ( 95 % confidence interval 0.9%-1.9 % ) and 6.9 % ( 95 % confidence interval 5.8%-8.0 % ) , respectively . Among the characteristics at implantation , ejection fraction ( EF ) < 30 % and history of atrial fibrillation were independently associated with SCD ; age , high New York Heart Association class , systemic hypertension , prior atrial fibrillation , QRS duration , EF < 30 % , and lack of beta-blocker therapy were independently associated with HF death . CONCLUSIONS In this large cohort of " daily " patients , the 2-year incidence of SCD ( 1.4 % ) was comparable with the event rate observed in r and omized controlled trials ; HF remained the predominant mode of death . An EF < 30 % at implantation appears to be the most important predictor of ICD-unresponsive SCD
Among the outcomes examined , the highest absolute risk increase was for heart failure .
Associations between atrial fibrillation and included outcomes were broadly consistent across subgroups and in sensitivity analyses .
Atrial fibrillation is associated with an increased risk of death and an increased risk of cardiovascular and renal disease .
OBJECTIVE To quantify the association between  atrial fibrillation and cardiovascular disease , renal disease , and death .