Atrial fibrillation risk runs in families
26 November 2010
People with any first-degree relative (e.g. parent or brother or sister) with atrial fibrillation have a significantly increased risk of developing the condition themselves, independently of traditional risk factors, experts say.
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common disorder of heart rhythm (arrhythmia) where the electrical signals that control your heartbeat are abnormal. These signals cause the upper chambers of your heart to beat chaotically and very quickly, resulting in an irregular and rapid heart rate.
Results from a US community-based study of 4421 people who did not have AF at the start showed that those with a first-degree relative with AF had a 40 per cent greater risk of developing AF themselves during an 8-year follow-up, researchers reported (JAMA 2010; 304: 2263-9).
This increased risk was not affected when the researchers took into account age, sex, body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, treatment for high blood pressure, heart murmur and heart failure, or having any of the four common genes associated with AF.
AF in a brother or sister added a similar amount of risk as AF in a parent.
Premature AF (onset before 65 years) in a family member was also associated with an increased risk of AF beyond the traditional risk factors, the authors said.
“Familial AF improves discrimination (prediction), particularly when familial AF is premature or when familial age at AF onset is taken into account”, they said.
Last Reviewed: 26 November 2010
- Lubitz SA, Yin X, Fontes JD, et al. Association between familial atrial fibrillation and risk of new-onset atrial fibrillation. JAMA 2010; 304: 2263-9. [Epub 2010 Nov 13.] http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/304/20/2263 (accessed Nov 2010).
