New York: Obesity may increase risk of developing a rapid and irregular heart rate, called atrial fibrillation, which can lead to stroke, heart failure and other complications, says a study of nearly 70,00 patients.
The findings, published in the journal American Journal of Cardiology, showed that people with obesity had a 40 per cent higher chance of developing atrial fibrillation than people without obesity.
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“If you have both atrial fibrillation and obesity, treating obesity will go a long way in treating and managing your atrial fibrillation,” Foy said.
“And if you have obesity, and lose weight through diet, exercise, or even surgery, that will help reduce your risk of developing chronic conditions like atrial fibrillation,” he added.
The condition puts patients at a higher risk for developing other heart complications.
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The researchers followed a group of 67,278 patients — half with obesity and half without — for eight years. The average participant age was 43.8 and nearly 77 per cent were women.
The researchers also found that people with obesity are almost just as likely to develop atrial fibrillation as people with hypertension or diabetes.
IANS