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Atrial fibrillation increases the risk of massive kidney and heart disease
If the heart stops beating constantly, it can have serious consequences, as confirmed by a recent study. Thus, persistent atrial fibrillation can have severe consequences on the kidneys and the heart. If the heart is not in the sinus rhythm, it can cause a stroke. In addition, the disease also increases the risk of complications such as heart failure and kidney disease or death from heart disease.
Researchers at the renowned University of Oxford in England and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) found in an investigation that an irregular heartbeat can lead to several serious health problems. For example, sufferers are more likely to suffer from kidney disease and strokes. The physicians published the results of their study in the journal British Medical Journal (BMJ).
People with atrial fibrillation are at an increased risk for various diseases, according to a new study. Patients also die twice as frequently from the effects of heart disease. (Image: Henrie / fotolia.com) Dangers of atrial fibrillation:
Doctors have known for some time that atrial fibrillation favors a stroke. Other research has also shown that women have a twice as high stroke risk in atrial fibrillation. But the irregular heartbeat also causes other negative health effects, say the authors. Atrial fibrillation increases the likelihood of heart failure and kidney disease. Patients also die more frequently from heart disease.
Study analyzes data from more than nine million subjects
The participating researchers analyzed a total of 104 studies for their study. These included more than nine million subjects, explain the physicians. More than half a million of these participants suffered from atrial fibrillation. The analysis of the data showed that so-called atrial fibrillation increases the risk of several health problems. Unfortunately, atrial fibrillation is usually not recognized. Patients suffer more frequently from strokes, heart failure and kidney disease.
Atrial fibrillation quintuples the risk of heart failure
In addition, the study found that people with atrial fibrillation have a 2.3-fold increased risk of ischemic stroke. Previous research has already shown that AF causes thousands of strokes every year. This ischemic stroke is caused by a blood clot. Affected individuals also have an increased risk of developing heart failure. Atrial fibrillation also quintuples the likelihood of heart failure.
Patients with atrial fibrillation die twice as often from heart disease
The researchers also found that people with atrial fibrillation die twice as often from heart disease. The likelihood of kidney disease was 1.6 times higher and sufferers developed 1.9 times more often a sudden cardiac arrest, explains Dr. med. Ayodele Odutayo from the University of Oxford in England.
Can atrial fibrillation be cured by losing weight?
In atrial fibrillation (absolute arrhythmia), the two upper chambers (atria) of the patients work irregularly. This condition can cause blood to collect in the heart, researchers say. From this accumulated blood can then form so-called blood clots. Such clots in the blood could cause a stroke. However, it may help the patients with atrial fibrillation to reduce their weight. Because, according to previous studies, atrial fibrillation can be cured by losing weight.
Hypertension can trigger heart failure and atrial fibrillation
However, it is still unclear whether there is an existing cause-and-effect relationship between atrial fibrillation and the health problems that occur, say the authors. It is possible that atrial fibrillation is not directly the trigger for problems such as heart failure or kidney disease. It could also be responsible for a different cause for both conditions. In fact, the cause of atrial fibrillation or heart failure can be simply hypertension, the experts add.
The development of new clinical models is urgently needed
Even though atrial fibrillation should not directly cause the complications, the results nonetheless suggest that physicians should consider the possible complications of their treatment of people with irregular heartbeats. It would be really beneficial to develop clinical models that can predict the risk of a person with atrial fibrillation for the complications that occur, explain the experts. (As)