Elucidating the causal pathways between adiposity and atrial fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common heart condition that causes irregular beating of the upper chambers of the heart. It is more common in men than women. People with AF are at increased risk of stroke. Scientists have evidence to suggest that body fat is an important factor in people developing AF. However, it is not clear why body fat might cause AF, or if the type of fat tissue and its distribution around the body is important. Professor Dr Jemma Hopewell will supervise research to address these questions by analysing a large volume of health and genetic data from the UK Biobank – a national database following the health of 500,000 volunteers. The researchers aim to (a) determine the influence that particular traits related to body fat, such as the total amount, type (e.g. visceral), and distribution around the body (e.g. waist circumference), have on the risk of AF, (b) assess heart scans from up to 38,000 UK Biobank volunteers to find out if fat around the heart (epicardial fat) is a cause of AF, (c) determine if the effects of fat tissue on AF risk are due to other medical conditions e.g. diabetes, coronary heart disease, and high blood pressure, and (d) investigate differences between men and women regarding the effects that fat tissue has on the risk of AF. Findings from this research could help doctors identify and treat people at high risk of AF more effectively. The new knowledge could also help encourage people at risk to maintain a healthy weight.
Project details
| Grant amount | £159,448 |
|---|---|
| Grant type | Fellowships |
| Application type | Clinical Research Training Fellowship |
| Start Date | 01 January 1900 |
| Duration | 2 years |
| Reference | FS/20/15/34920 |
| Status | In Progress |
