Lower heart blood flow reserve linked to atrial fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation rates were 20.5 versus 8.3 cases per 1,000 years of patient follow-up with impaired versus unimpaired heart blood flow reserve.
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Editor of record: Boris Djordjevic · AgingResearch.News
Among 10,500 patients without previous atrial fibrillation, an irregular heartbeat, an observational study examined whether heart blood flow scans predicted its onset. Patients underwent positron emission tomography scans at two centers. The scans measured myocardial flow reserve, which reflects how well the heart’s large and small blood vessels function.
Over a median follow-up of 640 days, 288 patients (2.74%) developed atrial fibrillation. Impaired flow reserve, defined as a value below 2, was associated with higher rates. The association remained after accounting for demographics, other health conditions and measures of heart pumping function. Adding flow reserve also improved risk prediction beyond clinical factors and heart pumping function.
Why it matters
Atrial fibrillation becomes more common with age. The authors suggested that problems in the heart’s small blood vessels may play a role early in its development.
Caveats
Other health differences between patients with and without impaired flow reserve may have contributed to the association, despite statistical adjustment. Participants were patients undergoing heart scans at two centers, all without previous atrial fibrillation.
The paper
Predictive Value of PET-Derived Myocardial Flow Reserve for New-Onset Atrial Fibrillation
Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center
Circulation Cardiovascular Imaging, Nov 13, 2026
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