In a new study from Northwestern University, researchers found deaths related to atrial fibrillation appear to be on the rise, especially among younger adults.
Atrial fibrillation – often called AFib – is an irregular heartbeat that sometimes leads to blood clots, stroke, heart failure and other cardiovascular complications.
The condition is increasingly common, with an estimated 12.1 million people in the U.S. expected to have it in 2030.
The study used data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Researchers focused on 276,373 people ages 35 to 84 who died between 2011 and 2018 from cardiovascular disease related to AFib.
After adjusting for age, they found about four additional AFib-related deaths per 100,000 people in the U.S. population in 2018 compared to 2011 – 22.3 deaths per 100,000 versus 18 deaths.
Breaking it down by age, they learned the increase per year was greater among those 35 to 64 – 7.4% – compared to 3% among those 65 to 84.
The team says the findings are troubling, especially the rising AFib-related death rate for younger adults ages 35-64.
Prevention and treatment are very important, as well as more education about AFib and easier access to care to encourage younger and vulnerable populations to get treatment, possibly for free or at discounted prices.
The team aims to conduct future studies to see if smartwatches and other wearable devices might improve early detection of AFib and reduce death rates.
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The study is published in the Journal of the American Heart Association. One author of the study is Dr. Yoshihiro Tanaka.
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