Obesity increases atrial fibrillation risk in obese men, finds study

For the purpose, the researchers used Cox proportional hazards models to examine the association between body mass index (BMI) and incident AF on study electrocardiogram in 10,074 participants (age 62.7 ± 6.6 years, 38.7% women, 62.2% white) from the ACCORD (Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes) trial. Among the participants 8.4% were normal weight, 29.0% were overweight, 53.1% were obese, and 9.5% were severely obese. 

"In those with diabetes, obesity and severe obesity are associated with increased risk of AF, but there is an interaction between sex and BMI, such that elevated BMI appears to confer a much greater risk of AF in men than in women. Further studies exploring the differential effects of BMI on AF risk in men and women are needed," concluded the authors. 

"Body Mass Index, Sex, and Incident Atrial Fibrillation in Diabetes: The ACCORD Trial," is published in the journal JACC: Clinical Electrophysiology.

DOI: https://www.jacc.org/doi/10.1016/j.jacep.2020.08.008