Background continued:

• Both hypertension and mitral regurgitation increase the probability of developing atrial fibrillation.
• There is often associated structural heart disease such as mitral regurgitation but not always.
• Hypertension, which often leads to LVH and left atrial enlargement, is a recognized condition which can increase the probability of developing atrial fibrillation in the elderly.
• Atrial fibrillation is relatively rare in people under age 50, but the incidence then increases gradually with age and by the time a person reaches Mrs. Brown´s age of 76, the incidence in the general population is around 5%.