In a new study from University Medical Center Utrecht, researchers found that body mass index may be more helpful in predicting the risk of a common type of irregular heartbeat in women, while waist size may better predict that risk in men.
The link between obesity and atrial fibrillation, or AFib – when the heart beats irregularly and often too fast – is well established.
But researchers wanted to understand the extent to which body fat distribution might predict AFib risk among men and women.
In the study, the team analyzed BMI, waist circumference and electrocardiogram data gathered between 2008 and 2013 from more than 2 million older adults in the U.S. and United Kingdom who didn’t have heart conditions, including heart failure and stroke.
About 12,000 participants – 0.6% – had AFib. The researchers found both higher BMI and a bigger waist were associated with an increased risk of AFib in men and women.
But there was a stronger connection between BMI and AFib risk among women, while waistline seemed a greater predictor in men.
For women, adding BMI to the calculation improved the ability to predict AFib by 23% compared to a 12% improvement using waist size.
In men, however, waist size came out on top, with a 30% improvement in predicting AFib versus 23% using BMI.
According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, normal BMI is defined as below 25, and women with a waist size greater than 35 inches and men with a waist larger than 40 inches are at higher risk for heart disease and Type 2 diabetes.
AFib, a major risk factor for stroke, is poised to affect an estimated 12.1 million Americans by 2030, according to American Heart Association statistics.
Left untreated, AFib doubles the risk of heart-related death and is associated with a fivefold higher risk of stroke. Some people with AFib have no symptoms, but others experience a rapid heartbeat or skipped beats.
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The study is published in the Journal of the American Heart Association. One author of the study is Dr. Michiel Poorthuis.
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