Table 1  Distribution of causes of death in the cohort of chronic atrial fibrillation patients and the general population
General Population Cohort  AF Cohort
N = 393  %  N = 234  %
Causes of death
Ischaemic heart disease (IHD)  70  17.8  61  21.1
Other cardiovascular no IHD *  42  10.7  56  24
Cerebrovascular disease†  44  11.2  33  14.1
Cancer  64  16.3  27  11.5
Other diseases§  107  27.2  48  20.5
Unknown  66  16.8  9  3.8
* Includes heart failure, heart valvular and rhythm disorders and vascular diseases (PVD, aneurism, pulmonary embolism). †includes ischaemic and haemorrhagic cerebrovascular accidents. §Includes respiratory, gastrointestinal, liver, renal diseases, infection and trauma.