INCREASE IN ERYTHROCYTE VOLUME IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC ATRIAL-FIBRILLATION

Non-anemic macrocytosis is occasionally observed in patients with a hi story of alcoholism or chronic liver disease. Recently we reported tha t patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) had larger erythrocytes than normal subjects. In the present study, we examined the temporal change s in hematologic measurements during the development of AF in 88 male patients (chronic AF: 49, paroxysmal AF: 39), and compared alcohol int ake among the groups. The mean corpuscular volume of erythrocytes was significantly greater in chronic AF patients, both before (98.1 +/- 6. 1 (SD) fl p < 0.05) and after onset within 6 months: 98.4 +/- 7.1 fl P < 0.05; 1 year: 98.6 +/- 6.2 fl p < 0.01), compared with 300 age-matc hed male control subjects with sinus rhythm (95.9 +/- 3.6 fl). Hematoc rit increased significantly with development of AF in both chronic and paroxysmal AF patients (fi < 0.005). Mean daily alcohol consumption d id not differ significantly among the control, chronic AF and paroxysm al AF groups. Our findings indicate that erythrocyte size is already l arger in patients with chronic AF before the condition develops.