It has long been believed that men face a higher risk of developing atrial fibrillation (AFib) than women. A new study published in JAMA Cardiology, however, flips the script on that very notion, suggesting that the risk is actually much higher among women.[1]
The key problem, it seems, is that prior research teams did not understand the significance of certain risk factors. For this latest analysis, the VITAL Rhythm Trial, a team of specialists tracked data from more than 25,000 patients who originally enrolled in the VITAL Trial. The mean age was 67 years old, and 51% of patients were women.
Over a median follow-up period of 5.3 years, AFib was identified in 4% of men and 3.2% of women. Initially, men were linked to a higher risk of AFib than women. But once height was mixed into the team’s equation, that completely changed; women were now the ones associated with a higher AFib risk.
“This is the first study to show an actual flip in the risk of AFib,” senior author Christine Albert, MD, MPH, cardiology chair for the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, said in a prepared statement. “In this population of 25,000 individuals without prior heart disease, after adjusting for differences in height, women were at higher risk for developing AFib than their male counterparts—upward of 50%.”
The taller a patient was, Albert et al. found, the higher their AFib risk. And if a man and woman are the exact same height, the woman faces a higher risk than the man.
Albert also provided some additional context, noting that the population is gradually increasing in both height and weight. This, along with the fact that people are living longer than ever before, suggests that AFib rates will rise in the years ahead.
“With incidence on the rise, it’s more imperative than ever to be offering preventive strategies and early diagnostic interventions to all patients,” Albert said, noting that maintaining a healthy weight and exercising regularly are just two of the ways individuals can limit their risk.
Michael has more than 16 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.