Mixed
Higher body mass index (BMI), abdominal fatness (waist circumference), and total body fat mass are associated with a significantly increased risk of developing atrial fibrillation, with risk increasing non-linearly at higher BMI levels.
Maintain a healthy body weight and minimize abdominal fat to lower your risk of atrial fibrillation. This risk increases even within the 'normal' BMI range (starting around 22) and is strongly linked to waist size and total body fat mass, not just obesity. Focus on keeping your waist circumference low and overall fat mass in check, as these are significant, modifiable risk factors for heart rhythm disorders.
In conclusion, general and abdominal adiposity and higher body fat mass increase the risk of atrial fibrillation.
Why this rating
Large-scale meta-analysis of 29 prospective studies with over 2.4 million participants and 83,000 cases.
Source
Body mass index, abdominal fatness, fat mass and the risk of atrial fibrillation: a systematic review and dose–response meta-analysis of prospective studies
Dagfinn Aune et al. · European Journal of Epidemiology · 2017
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