As many as 2.3 million Americans have a condition called atrial fibrillation, the most common form of irregular heartbeat and a new study indicates the condition isn t as harmless as was once thought.
Published in Archives of Internal Medicine, the study estimates that atrial fibrillation is associated with more than a 3-fold increase in sudden cardiac death. Researchers led by Lin Y. Chen, MD, MS, of the University of Minnesota Medical School, followed two cohorts comprising 21,000 people for over a decade.
If this finding is confirmed, the researchers say, the study adds to our evolving understanding that Afib is not a benign condition. Past studies have shown that AFib is a major risk factor for stroke.
ACSH s Dr. Gilbert Ross says that while an observational study such as this one can t prove cause and effect, the association found is very significant. Still, like Kyndaron Reinier, PhD, MPH, and Sumeet Chung, MD, who wrote an accompanying editorial, Dr. Ross isn t sure what the takeaway is. There isn t a strong message here, frankly, he says. But this is an important fact that needs to be reported.
