Blood group as a novel predictor of postoperative atrial fibrillation after off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to reveal whether there was a possible relationship between the blood group and postoperative atrial fibrillation after off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting. METHODS: Between January 2020 and January 2022, 452 patients undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting surgery consisted of the research population. Patients were divided into two groups based on the occurrence of new-onset atrial fibrillation from the time of operation until discharge. Group 1 (atrial fibrillation group) had 122 patients, whereas group 2 (non-atrial fibrillation group) contained 350 patients. Patients’ baseline clinical characteristics and operative and postoperative data were recorded and then compared between the groups. Moreover, a multivariate logistic regression analysis was also conducted to identify the predictors of postoperative atrial fibrillation. RESULTS: Non-O blood groups were substantially more common in the atrial fibrillation group than in the non-atrial fibrillation group. Patient age differences between the atrial fibrillation and non-atrial fibrillation groups were statistically significant, and patients in the atrial fibrillation group were detected to be older. Mean left atrial diameter, rates of obesity and prior percutaneous coronary intervention history, and perioperative intraaortic balloon pump requirement were significantly greater in the atrial fibrillation group than in the non-atrial fibrillation group. According to logistic regression analysis, blood group, age, left atrial diameter, obesity, and prior percutaneous coronary intervention were identified as predictors of postoperative atrial fibrillation. CONCLUSION: We demonstrated for the first time in the literature that ABO blood type was a novel and significant predictor of new-onset atrial fibrillation after off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting.