Arrhythmia And Obesity: How Can Weight Loss Decrease Your Risk Of Atrial Fibrillation?

Thirty-five percent of adults were overweight, while 12 percent were obese, in 2008. By 2016, this number had already risen quite dramatically — with 39 percent of people carrying too many pounds, and 13 percent falling into the obese category. Many people now live in places where overweight and obesity take more lives than underweight and starvation.

All these extra pounds take a huge toll on cardiovascular health. 

Obesity, arrhythmia, and atrial fibrillation: What are they?

Obesity and overweight are measured by looking at body fat and height, and this is usually determined by calculating someone's body mass index (BMI). A BMI of between 25 and 29.9 indicates that someone is overweight, while a number over 30 signifies obesity.

Gaining too much weight can lead to a number of health problems, including diabetes and heart diseases. Arrhythmias represent a host of different conditions that cause an abnormal heartbeat. These can range from harmless to deadly. One of these conditions is atrial fibrillation, which is the most common type of arrhythmia. Atrial fibrillation strikes when the mechanism that controls the heart’s beats no longer works properly, and signals ordering the heart to beat are sent out far too rapidly. This results in a very fast pulse, and the heart can no longer pump blood as effectively as it did before. 

How are obesity and atrial fibrillation connected?

Obesity can cause a person's cardiovascular health to suffer — and arrhythmias including atrial fibrillation are among the possible consequences.

Why?

For one, obesity increases a person's odds of encountering several of the risk factors for atrial fibrillation, like diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea, and coronary heart disease.

In addition, obesity is its own risk factor for atrial fibrillation, as it can change the structure of the heart. Obese men develop atrial fibrillation at four times the rate of their healthy-weight counterparts, while obese women have double the risk. 

Fat around the heart makes a person vulnerable to atrial fibrillation. Although it's normal to have some fat in and around the heart, your risk of atrial fibrillation goes up if there's too much. That's because the extra fat can lead to scarring, which can damage the heart’s electrical system. This can be dangerous even if you are not obese, but losing weight can lower the amount of fat around your heart and reduce your risk accordingly. 

Atrial fibrillation isn’t the only type of arrhythmia obesity can cause, either. Sinus arrhythmias (which occur near the top of your heart) and ventricular arrhythmias (which occur near the bottom of your heart) are common in obese people, too.

What can happen if you are obese and have atrial fibrillation? 

The combination of obesity and atrial fibrillation can become potentially life-threatening unless you receive proper treatment. 

Obesity puts people at risk of a multitude of serious health conditions, including:

• Coronary heart disease
• Diabetes
• Cancer
• Hypertension
• Stroke
• Sleep apnea
• Osteoarthritis (weakening of cartilage)
• Gynecological issues (such as infertility)

The symptoms of atrial fibrillation are heart palpitations, difficulty breathing, chest pain, low blood pressure, and fainting — unpleasant enough in themselves. They should alert anyone to see a doctor. 

However, atrial fibrillation can also increase the risk of stroke, heart attacks, blood clots, and cardiac arrest. Because both obesity and atrial fibrillation can lead to life-threatening complications like blood clots and stroke, people with either or both these conditions should work with their doctors to manage these risks. 

Can weight loss help, or does obesity do permanent damage? 

Weight loss can certainly get rid of some of the harmful fat around the heart — and losing even a modest number of pounds also reduces other risk factors for arrhythmia. Several studies recommend weight reduction programs to help reduce the risk of atrial fibrillation, and one found your risk of atrial fibrillation goes down seven percent for each BMI point you lose. 

Losing weight isn’t the only way to reduce the risk of atrial fibrillation either, so also aim for good diabetic control if you have diabetes, lower your lipid levels, avoid stress, and say no to smoking and alcohol. Together, these steps make your heart more resistant to developing atrial fibrillation.

Remember, however, that your doctor is your most important partner in working towards a healthier life. If you are obese or overweight and are worried about developing a heart condition, don't leave them out of the conversation. Your doctor will be able to give you the best advice based on your particular situation to help reduce the risk of atrial fibrillation or reduce its symptoms if you already have it.