Heart-test risk factors linked to irregular heartbeat and stroke
Over five years, atrial fibrillation, an irregular heartbeat, affected 8.3% and stroke 7.3% of patients with all five risk factors; both rates were lowest with none.
5 years, dose-response
Researchers analysed 1,434,491 patients who had an electrocardiogram, a recording of the heart’s electrical activity, in a nationwide observational cohort study. They grouped patients by how many of five risk factors the test showed. These included a high resting heart rate and changes in electrical signals. In total, 632,628 patients had none of the five risk factors and 802,163 had at least one.
Five-year rates of atrial fibrillation and stroke were lowest among patients with no risk factors. Rates were higher with more risk factors. Among patients with all five, 8.3% developed atrial fibrillation and 7.3% had a stroke over five years.
Why it matters
Atrial fibrillation is linked to a higher risk of stroke, making early detection an important question for health in later life.
Caveats
This observational study could identify associations, not establish cause and effect. It covered patients who had a heart recording; the abstract did not report their ages or sex.
The paper
Aalborg University Hospital; Aalborg University
European Heart Journal Open, 26 Sep 2026, Open access
