Rhythm Problem May Increase Heart Attacks

People with one type of abnormal heart rhythm are more likely to have heart attacks, a new study concludes. The study looked at the relationship between heart attack and atrial fibrillation (AF). With AF, the upper chambers of the heart do not beat normally. They quiver in a fast, irregular pattern. Heart attack is known to increase the risk of AF, but doctors have not known if the reverse is true. This study examined the issue by looking at records for nearly 24,000 people. They did not have coronary artery disease when the study began. More than 1,600 of them had AF. During a 7-year period, 650 people in the study had heart attacks. People with AF were nearly twice as likely as others to have heart attacks. The risk was especially high among women and black men. The study does not prove that AF actually caused the heart attacks. More research is needed, the authors said.