Research suggests that one in three people will develop an irregular heartbeat during their lifetime.
Atrial fibrillation, called the “silent killer”, was previously thought to affect around a quarter of adults at the time of their death.
But Danish experts who analyzed the medical records of millions of adults found that the risk has only increased.
Atrial fibrillation, dubbed a “silent killer,” was previously thought to affect around a quarter of adults. But Danish scientists found that among people with heart problems, up to two in five people are likely to develop heart failure during their lifetime.
Doctors remain baffled as to the exact cause of atrial fibrillation, which can lead to strokes.
However, it is known that it is more common in people with high blood pressure, a consequence of obesity. Obesity rates have skyrocketed in recent decades.
Researchers at Aalborg University also found that two out of five patients are likely to suffer from heart failure. One in five will suffer a stroke.
Experts argued today that it was “critical” that health chiefs prioritize heart failure prevention strategies and treatments to reduce the risk of complications.
The researchers analyzed data from more than 3.5 million Danes over the age of 45 who had no history of the disease.
During a 23-year follow-up, they found that more than 360,000 participants were diagnosed with atrial fibrillation.
After taking into account influencing factors, including income and pre-existing medical conditions such as diabetes or high cholesterol, they compared rates over two time periods. — 2000 to 2010 and 2011 to 2022.
The overall lifetime risk was estimated at 31 percent between 2011 and 2022, compared to 24 percent between 2000 and 2010.
The risk was also “slightly” higher among men, the researchers said.
Heart failure was the most common complication of the condition, with a lifetime risk of 41 percent.
This was twice as likely to suffer a stroke (21 percent) and four times greater than the lifetime risk of having a heart attack (12 percent).
In an article published in the British Medical Journal, the researchers said: “Our new quantification of the long-term consequences of atrial fibrillation highlights the critical need for treatments to further reduce the risk of stroke, as well as prevention strategies.” of heart failure among patients with atrial fibrillation”.
Randomized clinical trials and guidelines should “better reflect the needs of the real-world population with atrial fibrillation,” they added.
The study also “raises critical questions for the clinical and research communities about how the growing burden of atrial fibrillation can be stopped,” they said.
In atrial fibrillation, the heart rate is irregular and can sometimes be very fast. The NHS says: ‘In some cases it can be considerably higher than 100 beats per minute.
“This can cause problems such as dizziness, shortness of breath, and tiredness.”