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Heart-healthy habits decrease risk for AF
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Ideal CV health, as defined by the American Heart Association’s Life’s Simple 7, was associated with decreased incidence of atrial fibrillation, study results show.
“Attainment of ideal CV health is associated with a reduced incidence of CVD and stroke,” Parveen K. Garg, MD, MPH, from the division of cardiology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, Los Angeles, and colleagues wrote. “While AF and CVD share common risk factors and poor control of some [Life’s Simple 7] components have been associated with a higher risk for AF, the association of the combination of all [Life’s Simple 7] metrics with incident AF has not been evaluated. Elucidating a relationship of [Life’s Simple 7] with AF may provide information regarding the potential impact of achieving AHA’s strategic goals on AF prevention.”
Life’s Simple 7 components consist of cigarette smoking, BMI, BP, cholesterol, blood glucose, physical activity and diet.
Garg and colleagues analyzed data from 9,576 non-Hispanic black and white adults aged at least 45 years (mean age, 63 years; 57% women; 30% black) from the REGARDS study. Participants were free from AF at baseline. A Life’s Simple 7 score was assessed at baseline and classified as inadequate (0-4), average (5-9) or optimal (10-14) CV health. Mean score at baseline was 7.8.
Participants were followed up for 9.4 years.
AF was identified by ECG or self-reported physician diagnosis. During follow-up, 725 cases of AF were reported.
Participants with optimal CV health (n = 1,953) had a 32% lower risk for developing AF compared with those with inadequate CV health (n = 534; OR = 0.68; 95% CI, 0.47-0.99) after adjustment for demographics, alcohol use and other CV risk factors.
With each 1-point increase in Life’s Simple 7 score, there was a 5% lower risk for AF (OR = 0.95; 95% CI, 0.91-0.99).
“Though individually these components may not all be strongly related to AF risk, it is possible that the components are interrelated and that improvements in a single component could result in a reduction of AF by influencing improvements in other components,” the researchers wrote. by Cassie Homer
Disclosures: The authors report no relevant financial disclosures.
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