Having family members with atrial fibrillation increases risk of developing the disorder

A new study reveals that by having a mother, father or sibling with atrial fibrillation (AF) it raises the chances that 1 to 5 family member will also develop atrial fibrillation.

A team of researchers from the U.S. studied data from 4,421 participants in the long-term Framingham Heart Study. None of them had atrial fibrillation at the start of the study. Between 1968 and 2007, 440 of the participants developed the disorder.

The researchers found that atrial fibrillation runs in families even after controlling for other risk factors, including 4 known gene variants and conventional risk factors for atrial fibrillation, that include age, coronary heart disease, uncontrolled diabetes, congestive heart failure and structural heart defects.

People whose fathers, mothers or siblings had atrial fibrillation were 40% more likely to develop AF than those who didn’t have a first-degree relative with it — 5.8% vs. 3.1%, respectively. The risk increase was consistent regardless of whether it was parents only, siblings only, or both parents and siblings who were affected.

The research could make it easier to predict who will develop atrial fibrillation.

Atrial fibrillation is the most common type of arrhythmia, found in about 2.2 million Americans. An arrhythmia is a problem with the rate or rhythm of the heartbeat. During an arrhythmia, the heart can beat too fast, too slow, or with an irregular rhythm. Atrial fibrillation can also cause fatigue and stroke.