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 Researchers reviewed data from 51 previously published studies
covering more than 600,000 people and found that obesity also made
it more likely that patients with atrial fibrillation would have
complications after surgery to treat the condition.
“A lower risk of developing heart rhythm disorders such as atrial
fibrillation can be added to the list of health benefits from weight
reduction,” senior study author Dr. Prashanthan Sanders, director of
the center for heart rhythm disorders at the University of Adelaide
in Australia, said by email. “Weight reduction in patients who have
already established atrial fibrillation is also likely to be
beneficial.”
Millions of people worldwide have atrial fibrillation, which happens
when rapid, disorganized electrical signals cause the heart’s two
upper chambers - the atria - to contract very quickly and
irregularly. This stops blood from pumping completely into the
heart’s lower chambers, or ventricles, and prevents both portions of
the heart from working together properly. Symptoms can come and go.
Globally, 1.9 billion adults are overweight or obese, according to
the World Health Organization. Obesity increases the risk of heart
disease, diabetes, joint disorders and certain cancers.
To see how obesity might influence the odds of developing atrial
fibrillation, Sanders and colleagues analyzed studies that provided
data on how often obese people got atrial fibrillation or had a
surgical procedure known as ablation to ease electrical problems in
the heart, if medication couldn’t control it.
They assessed how increases in body mass index (BMI), derived from
height and weight, impacted atrial fibrillation.
An adult who is 5’ 9” tall and weighs from 125 to 168 pounds would
have a healthy weight and a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9, according to the
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. An obese adult at
that height would weigh at least 203 pounds and have a BMI of 30 or
more.
Using data from nine studies involving more than 157,000
participants, the researchers found that every five-point increase
in BMI, enough to tip the scales from overweight to obese, was
associated with a 29 percent increased risk of developing atrial
fibrillation.
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And using data from 16 studies involving about 5,900 people, they
found each five-point increase in BMI was linked to a 13 percent
greater risk that obese people would still have atrial fibrillation
episodes after an ablation procedure.
It’s possible the risks for atrial fibrillation might be
overestimated if the original studies didn’t adjust for all the
factors that could also increase the odds of developing the
condition, the authors acknowledge in the journal JACC Clinical
Electrophysiology.
Obesity contributes to many other conditions that can make atrial
fibrillation more likely to develop, including high blood pressure,
diabetes, and inflammation, said Dr. Oussama Wazni, co-director of
the atrial fibrillation center at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio.
“Obesity increases the risk of any surgery,” said Wazni, who wasn’t
involved in the study.
Losing enough weight to lower BMI by five points can also ease
symptoms of some conditions associated with obesity, Wazni added.
“If patients lose weight, they will feel better in general and they
will have less risk of hypertension and diabetes and less atrial
fibrillation,” Wazni said. “Some effects of obesity, like
inflammation, might not be completely reversible, but that doesn’t
mean we shouldn’t get people to lose weight.”
Sanders has received lecture fees or research funds from several
companies that make drugs or devices to treat heart rhythm
disorders, or served on company advisory boards.
SOURCE: http://bit.ly/1HB8Pmu JACC Clinical Electrophysiology,
online May 27, 2015.
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