New Study Finds Link Between Obesity and Atrial
Fibrillation
There appears to be an association between obesity
and the risk of developing the heart rhythm disorder
atrial fibrillation, according to a study of participants
in the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s
(NHLBI) Framingham Heart Study. The study is published
in the November 24 issue of the Journal of the American
Medical Association.
The investigators studied 5,282 Framingham participants
who did not have AF when the study began. These participants
were divided into three categories of body mass index
(BMI): normal, overweight, and obese. Over a period
of almost 14 years, the scientists found that the
incidence of atrial fibrillation increased across
BMI for both men and women.
These research findings should be confirmed by other
observational studies, according to Daniel Levy, M.D.,
director of the Framingham Heart Study and a study
co-author. According to Levy, if the study is validated,
weight control, in addition to reducing risk for hypertension,
diabetes, and other obesity-related complications,
may also lower risk for AF.
To arrange an interview with Dr. Levy, please call
the NHLBI Communications Office at (301) 496-4236.
NHLBI is part of the National Institutes of Health
(NIH), the Federal Government’s primary agency
for biomedical and behavioral research. NIH is a component
of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
NHLBI press releases and fact sheets, including information
on arrhythmias, can be found online at www.nhlbi.nih.gov. |