Weight Loss Reduces Atrial Size, Pericardial Fat in AF Patients

[Ecki]

Anyone else come across this article:

medscape.com/viewarticle/84...

Very interesting as I have recently been diagnosed with Afib and have a severely enlarged left atrium. The cardiologist is going to do a cardioversion but is fairly sure that the Afib will return. He's not sure if I can have an ablation due to the enlarged LA. I'm going to try to lose 15kg in weight and hope that it reduces the LA to a suitable size for an ablation to happen. I know it may not work but it's worth a try.

[10gingercats]

In any case with Afib. you will be better off with a lower weight.You will almost certainly feel more energetic .I am not a medic. and have no evidence but i guess a lower weight may also reduce heart size. Good luck.

[Kaz747]

There is evidence to show reducing your body weight by 10% can improve AF and of course, being a healthy weight is the ideal although there’s still plenty of healthy weight people with AF. Still we should try whatever we have in our control to be as well as we can be.

[wilsond]

All I can say is I have lost 22kg in the last 8 months,over 10% of my body weight. BMI gone down 5 points..heading towards normal . My AF had improved to the extent I have just been taken off the ablation list for flutter and AFib. I was told the benefit would not be apparent as my symptoms are not debilitating as a rule now,and respond to medication. This was not the case when first diagnosed.

I can't comment on the left atrial enlargement,as mine is ok. However,I have read on here about people seeing improvement in LA size for various reasons,I can't see how it wouldn't do some good.

The add on of course is general better health!

Best wishes x

[Hidden in reply to wilsond]

I wish. Lost 10kgs but still having episodes as often as before.

[wilsond in reply to Hidden]

Oh...wish it had helped more too xx

[BobD Volunteer]

Weight loss is important to reduce AF burden and has been shown in some case to remove the need for an ablation. I think it was the LEGACY trial in Australia which showed this if you want to google it. A BMI of 25 or lower is deemed ideal. In That trial they put some people on an 800 calories a day diet for six months from memory. That may sound hard but probably wiorth it for future health if people adopt the life style and don't revert to old habits. I lost a stone in the first three months of this year just be eating less meat and having smaller portions. You have to mean it though. One skittles match with drinks and supper afterwards =+_2 lbs and takes me two days to shed again.

[10gingercats in reply to BobD]

In view of advancing age I suggested to my GP 2/3 years ago I wanted to take a third off my food...for ever! Meat is negligable anyway and only occasional wine Hhe said 'go for it'.Afib. situation improved all round as did energy.