Atrial fibrillation runs in families
Having a close family member with atrial fibrillation places the individual at a 40 percent greater risk of developing the heart condition in the long run, a new study says.
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is an irregular heart beat developed when the two small upper chambers of the heart, the atria, beat inefficiently, increasing the risk of developing clots which may travel to the brain and subsequently cause strokes.
According to the study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the risk of developing atrial fibrillation is threefold higher in individuals whose relatives are diagnosed with the heart rhythm problem at a younger age, usually before the age of 65.
"When people are younger and they get it, a lot of time people don’t have any other risk factors," said lead researcher Emelia Benjamin of Boston University School of Medicine, stressing that AF runs in families.
Having a first-degree relative with atrial fibrillation places one to 5 family members at an increased risk of developing the heart condition, the study found.
Scientists concluded that having a family history of atrial fibrillation would be a good predictor of an individual’s risk of developing the irregular heartbeat associated with increased stroke risk.
Source: presstv.ir
