Big babies at higher heart rhythm disorder risk in adulthood

Beijing, Oct 19 : A team of researchers here has linked elevated birth weight with developing a common heart rhythm disorder atrial fibrillation later in life.
Chinese researchers from Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China said that the risk of atrial fibrillation in adulthood may be higher for large newborns (over 4 kilos or 8 pounds 13 ounces) than those with normal birth weight.
“Preventing elevated birth weight could be a novel way to avoid atrial fibrillation in offspring — for example with a balanced diet and regular check-ups during pregnancy, particularly for women who are overweight, obese or have diabetes,” said study author Dr Songzan Chen at the 31st ‘Great Wall International Congress of Cardiology’ (GW-ICC).
“People born with a high weight should adopt a healthy lifestyle to lower their likelihood of developing the heart rhythm disorder,” Chen said.
Atrial fibrillation is the most common heart rhythm disorder, affecting more than 40 million individuals globally.
People with atrial fibrillation have a five times greater risk of having a stroke.