5 risk factors for atrial fibrillation and how to tackle them
Text: Anni Karjala / Image: Erik Lanza
In atrial fibrillation, your heart twitches rapidly, out of rhythm, unable to pump blood into the blood vesselsproperly. You might feel out of breath, fatigued – or nothing at all.
Atrial fibrillation (afib) is the most common arrhythmia. According to estimates, up to one in four of individuals aged over 40 years will get atrial fibrillation at some point of their life. In addition to being common, atrial fibrillation is often asymptomatic – approximately 40% percent of people with atrial fibrillation don’t know they have it.
Atrial fibrillation is common, but there are certain features that make you more susceptible to it. Below you can find the key risk factors for atrial fibrillation – and what to do about them.
1. Age
The likelihood of developing atrial fibrillation increases significantly with age. After 40 years of age, every 1 in 4 will develop atrial fibrillation (1). At 50, your risk of atrial fibrillation starts to double every 10 years (2). The condition in younger adults is rare, but atrial fibrillation can also affect the young.
Action point: Form healthy routines. Checking up on your heart regularly is important and rather easy to do. You can use a monitoring device: With CardioSignal, it only takes a minute to measure your heart.
2. High blood pressure
Did you know that hypertension could increase your risk of getting atrial fibrillation by an estimated 40-50%? (3)
Especially when left untreated, hypertension causes your heart to overwork. As a result, the structure of the heart and its function gets altered, leading your heart to be more prone to atrial fibrillation.
Action point: Regular monitoring of blood pressure and adhering to its treatment are key in easing the burden on your heart. In doing so, you will not only decrease your risk for atrial fibrillation but also other heart conditions such as coronary artery disease.
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3. Heart disease
Atrial fibrillation is often a sign of an underlying heart disease. On the other hand, if you have been diagnosed with a heart disease like valve disease, acute coronary syndrome or cardiomyopathies, your risk for getting atrial fibrillation is elevated (3). A Previous event of atrial fibrillation is also a key risk factor for new episodes of atrial fibrillation (4).
Action point: Follow the treatment recommendations given by your healthcare professionals for these conditions. In addition to medical treatment, lifestyle changes, such as skipping smoking or excessive alcohol use, are smart and important moves.
4. Sleep apnea:
How we sleep is linked to heart health in many ways. Such is the case in atrial fibrillation: studiesdemonstrate a strong link between obstructive sleep apnea and atrial fibrillation. This is likely due to the modulation of autonomous nervous system function, and the resulting burden that sleep apnea poses on the cardiovascular system (5,6).
Action point: Sleep apnea is common and can occur without any symptoms (7). If you have sleep apnea, following your heart health more closely is a smart move. If you suspect you have it, read more on how to detect sleep apnea.
5. Family history
Having a family history of atrial fibrillation increases your risk (8). Your risk for atrial fibrillation is elevated especially if your parents or siblings have it.
Action point: Talking to your family about heart health is important. If there are heart-related risk factors in your family, be sure to regularly monitor your heart and encourage others in your family to do so as well. Acting early on atrial fibrillation is key in minimizing possible complications.
There is more to staying heart-healthy
The above-mentioned are well-known factors increasing the risk of atrial fibrillation, but it’s good to remember that it can occur without any of them. There is more to staying heart-healthy, and the body of knowledge on the risk factors grows constantly with the vigorous research being done. A good start for managing your heart health is to form healthy habits and keep checking up on your heart health on a regular basis.
Read next: How lifestyle choices are related to atrial fibrillation.
These insights were curated and gathered by Anni Karjala (MD) a doctor who is passionate about cardiology with a focus on digital tools and early intervention.
References:
1)Lloyd-Jones, D. M. et al. Lifetime risk for development of atrial fibrillation: the Framingham Heart Study. Circulation 110, 1042–1046, https://doi.org/10.1161/01.CIR.0000140263.20897.42 (2004).
2) Wasmer K, Eckardt L, Breithardt G. Predisposing factors for atrial fibrillation in the elderly. J Geriatr Cardiol. 2017;14(3):179-184. doi:10.11909/j.issn.1671-5411.2017.03.010
3) Verdecchia P, Angeli F, Reboldi G. Hypertension and Atrial Fibrillation: Doubts and Certainties From Basic and Clinical Studies. Circ Res. 2018 Jan 19;122(2):352-368. doi: 10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.117.311402. PMID: 29348255.
4) Yu L, Li X, Huang B, Zhou X, Wang M, Zhou L, Meng G, Wang Y, Wang Z, Deng J, Jiang H. Atrial Fibrillation in Acute Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Autonomic Nervous Mechanism and Modulation. J Am Heart Assoc. 2017 Sep 13;6(9):e006264. doi: 10.1161/JAHA.117.006264. PMID: 28903938; PMCID: PMC5634281.
5) Traaen G.M., Øverland B., Aakerøy L., Hunt T.E., Bendz C., Sande L. Prevalence, risk factors, and type of sleep apnea in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. Int. J. Cardiol. Heart. Vasc. 2020;26
6) Fox CS, Parise H, D'Agostino, Sr RB, et al. Parental Atrial Fibrillation as a Risk Factor for Atrial Fibrillation in Offspring. JAMA. 2004;291(23):2851–2855. doi:10.1001/jama.291.23.2851
7) Gottlieb DJ, Punjabi NM. Diagnosis and Management of Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Review. JAMA. 2020;323(14):1389–1400. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.3514
8) Marcus GM, Smith LM, Vittinghoff E, Tseng ZH, Badhwar N, Lee BK, Lee RJ, Scheinman MM, Olgin JE. A first-degree family history in lone atrial fibrillation patients. Heart Rhythm. 2008 Jun;5(6):826-30. doi: 10.1016/j.hrthm.2008.02.016. Epub 2008 Feb 16. PMID: 18468961; PMCID: PMC2474569.
