Falling body mass index linked to lower irregular heartbeat risk
Adults starting above a body mass index of 28 who reduced it by more than 10% had lower subsequent risk of an irregular heartbeat (adjusted hazard ratio 0.73).
Limit: The conference abstract did not explicitly identify the hazard ratio's comparison group
Edited by Boris Djordjevic · AgingResearch.News
An observational cohort study included 431,967 adults aged 35 or older in 2005, each with at least two recorded measurements of body mass index, a measure of weight relative to height. None had previously documented atrial fibrillation, an irregular heartbeat. During follow-up, 62,912 developed the condition, a cumulative incidence of 14.6%.
Risk rose progressively above a starting body mass index of 28. Among people above that threshold, researchers examined changes during the first five years and new cases between years 5 and 20. Reductions were associated with lower subsequent risk, while increases were associated with progressively higher risk. For reductions exceeding 10%, the adjusted hazard ratio was 0.73. This measure compares risk over time; values below 1 indicate lower relative risk. The analysis accounted for age, sex, smoking and other health factors.
Why it matters
Atrial fibrillation is relevant to heart health with aging. The findings suggest that changes in body size may help assess its long-term risk.
Caveats
This observational study cannot establish cause and effect, and its findings do not cover people under 35 or those with previously documented atrial fibrillation. The conference abstract did not explicitly identify the hazard ratio’s comparison group.
The paper
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev; Soroka University Medical Center
ESC Congress 2026 Abstract, Oct 26, 2026
Presented at ESC Congress 2026
