In a new study, researchers found that taller people have an increased risk of developing atrial fibrillation, or AFib.
They found a strong link between the genetic variants associated with height and one’s risk for AFib.
The study is among the first to demonstrate that height may be a causal—not correlated—risk factor for AFib.
The research was conducted by a team at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.
AFib, which affects more than 33 million people worldwide, is an irregular and often rapid heartbeat that can lead to stroke, heart failure, and other complications.
Previous research found that taller individuals appear to have a higher risk of developing AFib.
However, questions exist about whether height can cause AFib, or if it’s just a common, insignificant factor.
To further examine the association between height and Afib, the research team used data from the Genetic Investigation of Anthropometric Trials (GIANT) consortium, which studied more than 700,000 individuals to identify genetic variants associated with height.
They also examined data from the Atrial Fibrillation Genetics (AFGen) consortium, which studied more than 500,000 individuals to identify genetic variants associated with AFib.
They found that the risk for AFib climbed as one’s height increased, with every one-inch increase in height translating to about a 3% increase in the risk of Afib—independent of other clinical factors—as compared to those of average height (5 feet and 7 inches).
The findings suggest it may be beneficial to incorporate height into risk-prediction tools for AFib.
While current guidelines advise against widespread screening for AFib, the findings show that a certain group of patients—specifically, very tall patients—may benefit from screening.
The US Department of Veterans Affairs contributed funding for the work.
The lead author of the study is Michael Levin, a cardiovascular medicine fellow.
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