Athletes are two and half times more likely than non-athletes to experience irregular heartbeats, studies suggest. Researchers found the risk of atrial fibrillation was 2.46 times higher among athletes than non-athletes. The researchers found younger athletes, those aged under 55, had a much higher risk (3.6 times or 360%) of atrial fibrillation than older athletes. There was limited data on female athletes, making it difficult to look at the relative risk of atrial fibrillation by gender. The researchers said: “Athletes have a significantly greater likelihood of developing atrial fibrillation compared with non-athlete controls.

Source: The Herald July 12, 2021 18:33 UTC