A systematic evaluation of the available evidence suggests similarities as well as important differences in the risk factors for incidence of AF as compared with other cardiovascular diseases , which has implication s for the primary prevention strategies for atrial fibrillation
Established primary prevention strategies of cardiovascular diseases are based on underst and ing of risk factors , but whether the same risk factors are associated with  atrial fibrillation ( AF )  remains unclear .
Obesity, Physical Activity, and Their Interaction in Incident Atrial Fibrillation in Postmenopausal Women
Background Atrial fibrillation ( AF ) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia and is associated with increased risk of stroke and death . Obesity is an independent risk factor for AF , but modifiers of this risk are not well known . We studied the roles of obesity , physical activity , and their interaction in conferring risk of incident AF . Methods and Results The Women 's Health Initiative ( WHI ) Observational Study was a prospect i ve observational study of 93 676 postmenopausal women followed for an average of 11.5 years .  Incident AF was identified using WHI‐ascertained hospitalization records and diagnostic codes from Medicare cl aims . A multivariate Cox 's hazard regression model adjusted for demographic and clinical risk factors was used to evaluate the interaction between obesity and  physical activity and its association with incident AF . After exclusion of women with prevalent AF , incomplete data , or underweight body mass index ( BMI ) , 9792 of the remaining 81 317 women developed AF . Women were , on average , 63.4 years old , 7.8 % were African American , and 3.6 % were Hispanic .  Increased BMI ( hazard ratio [ HR ] , 1.12 per 5‐kg/m2 increase ; 95 % confidence interval [ CI ] , 1.10 to 1.14 ) and  reduced physical activity  ( > 9 vs. 0 metabolic equivalent task hours per week ; HR , 0.90 ; 95 % CI , 0.85 to 0.96 ) were independently associated with higher rates of AF after multivariate adjustment . Higher  levels of physical activity reduced the AF risk conferred by obesity ( interaction P=0.033 ) . Conclusions  Greater physical activity is associated with lower rates of incident AF and modifies the association between obesity and incident AF
A systematic evaluation of the available evidence suggests similarities as well as important differences in the risk factors for incidence of AF as compared with other cardiovascular diseases , which has implication s for the primary prevention strategies for atrial fibrillation
Established primary prevention strategies of cardiovascular diseases are based on underst and ing of risk factors , but whether the same risk factors are associated with  atrial fibrillation ( AF )  remains unclear .