Taller people have an increased risk of developing atrial fibrillation (AFib), an irregular and often rapid heartbeat that can lead to stroke, heart failure and other complications, according to a newPenn Medicinestudy. The research, which reveals a strong link between the genetic variants associated with height and ones risk for AFib, is the among the first to demonstrate that height may be a causalnot correlatedrisk factor for AFib. The findings were presented at theAmerican Heart Associations 2019 Scientific Sessionsin Philadelphia this month.
Researchers found that the risk for AFib climbed as ones height increased, with every one-inch increase in height translating to about a three percent increase in risk of Afibindependent of other clinical factorsas compared to those at average height (5 feet and 7 inches).
Our findings suggest it may be beneficial to incorporate height into risk-prediction tools for AFib, says the studys lead authorMichael Levin, a cardiovascular medicine fellow at Penn. While current guidelines advise against widespread screening for AFib, our findings show that a certain group of patientsspecifically, very tall patientsmay benefit from screening.
Read more at Penn Medicine News.
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