Fertile women with obesity more likely to develop atrial fibrillation

News-medical.net:  August 26, 2012
Obesity triggers atrial fibrillation in fertile women, according to research presented today at the ESC Congress 2012 by Dr Deniz Karasoy from Denmark.

Atrial fibrillation and obesity are among the largest public health related challenges in the western world today. Atrial fibrillation is the commonest heart rhythm disorder and is associated with increased mortality and morbidity. Previous studies have demonstrated that obesity increases the risk of new-onset atrial fibrillation in individuals with known risk factors for developing atrial fibrillation such as advanced age or cardiovascular comorbidity.

Atrial fibrillation is rare in young, healthy individuals and precipitating factors remain controversial. A growing body of evidence suggests that genetic predisposition, inflammation, obstructive sleep apnea, excessive alcohol consumption, and excessive physical exercise may cause atrial fibrillation in these individuals. However, it is unknown whether obesity increases the risk of atrial fibrillation in young people without other risk factors. The aim of this study was to use the unique opportunity provided by the consistency of nationwide registers of childbirth and hospitalization in Denmark to examine the risk of atrial fibrillation related hospitalizations with respect to body mass index (BMI) among fertile women. read more