Are Athletes at High Risk for AFib?What you need to know

A British researcher, led by a team at Canterbury Christ Church University in Canterbury, England, reviewed existing studies to see if the type of sport athletes practiced affected AFib risk.

Researchers review and analyze 13 related studies published between 1990 and December 2020 among athletes who participated in sports such as cycling, running, swimming, Nordic skiing, orienteering, boating and soccer. Did.

These studies included data on 70,478 participants, including 63,662 controls and 6,816 athletes.

The findings suggest that the risk of AFib was 2.46 times higher among athletes than non-athletes — athletes participated in mixed sports rather than endurance sports, increasing the risk of AFib.

When researchers divided into studies involving participants with or without existing conditions such as type 2 diabetes and hypertension, they were at relative risk of AFib between athletes and non-athletes with these risk factors. No significant difference was found.

However, looking at athletes and non-athletes without risk factors for cardiovascular disease, athletes had a 3.7-fold higher relative risk of AFib than non-athletes.

Researchers also found that athletes under the age of 55 were at a much higher risk of AFib than athletes over the age of 55. However, older athletes were 76% more likely to be in this state than non-athletes.

According to the study’s authors, the study had certain limitations, including the fact that it analyzed a variety of studies with its own methodologies.

Due to the limited data on female athletes, it was difficult to determine the relative risk of AFib by gender.

Anyway, the authors of the study concluded that “athletes are much more likely to develop atrial fibrillation than controls in non-athletes.”

Michael GoifmanMD, director of clinical cardiology at Long Island Jewish Forest Hills in New York, said AFib is most common in older people and that arrhythmias themselves are not directly life-threatening but can cause stroke. I told Healthline.

“What happens with atrial fibrillation is the irregular beating of the upper part of the heart—it trembles,” Goifman explained. “Blood does not circulate in the chamber. If blood does not circulate well, it can clot and form blood clots.”

The problem is that if a blood clot forms in the heart, it can break and move to the brain, causing a stroke, and then to other parts of the body, causing other problems.

“Generally speaking, anticoagulants are given to these patients to reduce the risk of these blood clots forming.”

According to Goifman, this study does not show that exercise actually causes atrial fibrillation, only a correlation.

“I don’t know how accurate this really is,” Goyfman said. “The question is a series of all these exams. [including] Published … This is like a cohort study of this information. Since this is retroactive or self-reported, this study does show some correlation, but in reality it is not possible to infer a causal relationship. “

Lawrence M. EpsteinMD, director of electrophysiology at Sandra Atlas Bath Heart Hospital in Northwell Health, Manhasset, NY, explained that more exercise is not always better.

Beyond certain points, exercise can do more harm than good, according to Epstein. He pointed out that people in long-distance bike races are particularly vulnerable to AFib.

1 2009 survey We have found that elite endurance athletes may be five times more at risk for AFib than the general public. Epstein said he was concerned that the UK study did not show an increased risk for cyclists and AFib.

“People who engage in long-term exercise activities such as triathlons and bicycle races are known to have a high incidence of AFib,” Epstein said.

According to Goyfman, medical professionals, although not yet proven, have some theories as to why exercise can increase the risk of AFib.

He said exercise can change the structure of the heart because it makes certain ventricles a little bigger. Changes in structure increase the risk of arrhythmias and atrial fibrillation.

He also said that an increase in certain hormones could also increase the risk of AFib.

Epstein emphasized that AFib is “multifactorial.” That is, AFib can have many causes, including whether it is hereditary, high blood pressure, obesity, or type 2 diabetes.

“AFib [that] Older people with experiences of different health conditions are different from those experienced by younger people with a genetic predisposition to that condition, “he said.

Goyfman emphasized that you should always do a “risk and benefit analysis” and consult your doctor before making any major changes to your workout routine.

“Some patients are actually at very low risk,” he said. “Therefore, the risk of developing AFib is not a major issue for these patients, so it is advisable to consult a cardiologist to discuss the risks and benefits before considering a change in exercise therapy. . “

A new study in the United Kingdom shows that people engaged in high-level sports are at increased risk of atrial fibrillation, AFib. Those who practice mixed sports such as rugby and soccer experience the greatest risk.

According to experts, this study is based on limited data and correlations have been found, but there is no cause for AFib identified by the researchers.

Experts say you should consult your doctor or medical professional before making any significant changes to your workout routine.