Men, watch your weight: Obesity increases irregular heartbeat risk

A German study found that men developed atrial fibrillation at 50 years of age, while women developed the condition at 60 or at older age.

Overweight men are more likely to develop irregular heartbeat at 50 years of age, nearly a decade earlier than women, according to a study.

The findings showed that men were diagnosed with atrial fibrillation -- a condition in which the upper chambers of the heart, or atria, quiver instead of beat to move blood effectively -- at 50 years of age, while women developed the condition at 60 or at older age.

This increase was attributed majorly to a higher body mass index (BMI) in men (31%) compared to women (18%).

“We advise weight reduction for both men and women,” said Christina Magnussen, medical specialist at the University Heart Center in Hamburg, Germany.

Higher blood levels of C-reactive protein (inflammation marker) were also found to increase the risk of atrial fibrillation in elderly men.

“As elevated body mass index seems to be more detrimental for men, weight control seems to be essential, particularly in overweight and obese men,” Magnussen added.

“It’s crucial to better understand modifiable risk factors of atrial fibrillation,” Magnussen said.

“If prevention strategies succeed in targeting these risk factors, we expect a noticeable decline in new-onset atrial fibrillation,” he noted.

For the study, the team reviewed records of 79,793 people (aged 24 to 97) who were followed for a period of 12.6 to a maximum of 28.2 years. The condition developed in about 24% of both men and women by age 90.