- A new genetic analysis provides more evidence that high blood pressure is a leading risk factor for atrial fibrillation.
- Previous research has shown that the two conditions are linked. Now a new study provides stronger support for high blood pressure as the driving factor.
- Treating high blood pressure will likely help reduce the risk of atrial fibrillation.
A new genetic study provides additional evidence that high blood pressure, or hypertension, may cause atrial fibrillation (AFib), the most common type of irregular heart rhythm.
While previous research has shown that the two conditions are linked, the new study, published online Feb. 9 in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, provides stronger support for high blood pressure as the driving factor.
“The connection between high blood pressure and atrial fibrillation has been well recognized for many, many years,” said Dr. Todd Hurst, a cardiologist at Banner – University Medicine Heart Institute. He wasn’t involved in the new study.
“While this study is a novel approach to showing causality and not just association, its primary benefit is in re-emphasizing the importance of high blood pressure as a cause of AFib,” he said.
Source: healthline