BACKGROUND: @entity955 , the most common sustained disturbance of heart rhythm, is associated with a 5-fold increase in the incidence of @entity385 . METHODS AND RESULTS: The National Hospital Discharge Survey was used to estimate the annual number and prevalence of hospitalizations with @entity955 among @entity1 and @entity1 35 years of age or older. From 1985 through 1999, hospitalizations increased from 154 086 to 376 487 for a first-listed diagnosis and from 787 750 to 2 283 673 for any diagnosis. Prevalence was higher among successive age groups. Age-standardized prevalence was consistently higher among @entity1 than @entity1 . In 1999, essential @entity101 , @entity741 , @entity712 , and @entity6 were prominent coexisting conditions. The number of male @entity1 discharged home decreased from 77% to 63%, whereas the number of discharges to long-term care increased from 9% to 15%; the corresponding values for @entity1 were 72% to 56% and 15% to 23%. A slight increase in discharges to short-term care was indicated, whereas no trends were noted for in-hospital mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Hospitalizations for @entity955 have increased dramatically (2- to 3-fold) in recent years. The public health burden of @entity955 is enormous and expected to continue to increase over the next decades. Primary prevention of @entity955 must be recognized and pursued as a complementary management strategy for reducing @entity65 and mortality.

Increasing trends in hospitalization for XXXX in the United States, 1985 through 1999: implications for primary prevention.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['women', 'patients', 'men'] @entity712 :: ('MESH:D006333', 'Disease') :: ['congestive heart failure'] @entity101 :: ('MESH:D006973', 'Disease') :: ['hypertension'] @entity6 :: ('MESH:D003920', 'Disease') :: ['diabetes'] @entity741 :: ('MESH:D017202', 'Disease') :: ['ischemic heart disease'] @entity955 :: ('MESH:D001281', 'Disease') :: ['atrial fibrillation', 'Atrial fibrillation'] @entity65 :: ('MESH:D002318', 'Disease') :: ['cardiovascular morbidity'] @entity385 :: ('MESH:D002544', 'Disease') :: ['ischemic stroke']
@entity955 :: (MESH:D001281,Disease) :: ['atrial fibrillation']
