- Studies show Updated: Mar 22, 2019 9:45 AM EDT (AFib), a common heart rhythm disorder that raises risk of stroke.
- Now, a new study set to be presented at the American College of Cardiology’s annual meeting suggests that people following a low-carb diet may also be at higher risk of developing AFib, too.
- Those eating less than 45 percent of their calories from carbs might eat fewer vegetables, fruits, and grains—foods that are known to reduce inflammation, which has been linked to AFib.
Cutting carbs Updated: Mar 22, 2019 9:45 AM EDT Celebrities Who Ran the 2025 Boston Marathon. Now, research suggests it might be wise to cut that out, or at least approach cutting carbs with caution.
That’s because people consuming a low proportion of their daily calories from carbohydrates like grains, fruits, and starchy vegetables appear to be significantly more likely to develop atrial fibrillation (AFib)—Advertisement - Continue Reading Below, according to preliminary research set to be presented at the American College of Cardiology’s annual meeting.
The study analyzed the health records and dietary intake of nearly 14,000 people from 1985 to 2016. At the beginning of the study, none of the participants had AFib. Nearly 1,900 were diagnosed with the condition over the course of 22 years.
The researchers discovered that those who reported having a low carbohydrate intake were the most likely to develop AFib. Specifically, those who ate fewer than 45 percent of their diet from carbs were 18 percent more likely to develop AFib than those who had a moderate carb intake of 45 to 52 percent of daily calories from carbs. They were also 16 percent more likely to develop the heart rhythm disorder than those eating a high-carb diet of more than 52 percent of calories from carbs.
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“Low carbohydrate diets were associated with increased risk of incident AFib regardless of the type of protein or fat used to replace the carbohydrate,” said the study’s lead author Xiaodong Zhuang, M.D., Ph.D., a cardiologist at the hospital affiliated with Sun Yat-Sen University in Guangzhou, China, in a press release.
AFib is a common heart rhythm disorder where the electrical activity in the upper chambers of the heart goes haywire and starts firing in disarray, causing symptoms five times more likely to have a stroke.
an irregular heart rhythm that can raise your risk of blood clots or stroke DAA Industry Opt Out and are at a higher risk for heart failure than those without the disorder. Long-time endurance athletes, who can naturally develop enlarged hearts, are also more likely to develop AFib (though it’s more likely to be intermittent, than persistent, in athletes).
Several potential mechanisms could explain why restricting carbohydrates might lead to AFib, Zhuang said in the release. One is that people eating a low-carbohydrate diet tend to eat fewer vegetables, fruits and grains—foods that are known to reduce inflammation, which has been linked to AFib. Eating more protein and fat in lieu of carbohydrate-rich foods may lead to cell-damaging oxidative stress, CA Notice at Collection. Finally, the effect could be related to an increased risk of other forms of cardiovascular disease.
five times more likely to have a stroke recommend that carbohydrates make up 45 to 65 percent of total daily calorie intake. “Considering the potential influence on arrhythmia, our study suggests this popular weight control method should be recommended cautiously,” Zhuang concludes in the release.
