Exercise May Be Good Medicine for Irregular Heartbeat

Exercise appears to help control an irregular heartbeat known as atrial fibrillation in obese people, a new study shows.

Australian researchers found that “cardiorespiratory fitness” reduced the risk that this potentially dangerous heartbeat will return by as much as 84% - even more than losing weight. Cardiorespiratory fitness refers to the ability of the heart and lungs to supply oxygen to the body during sustained physical activity.

“This study adds to a growing body of evidence that aggressive risk factor management with increased physical activity should be an integral component of management of atrial fibrillation,” said lead researcher Dr.

Prashanthan Sanders, director of the Center for Heart Rhythm Disorders at the University of Adelaide in Australia.

Atrial fibrillation, the most common abnormal heart rhythm, affects about 2.7 million Americans, according to the American Heart Association. Obesity and inactivity are risk factors for atrial fibrillation, which can lead to stroke, the researchers pointed out.

The report was published online August 24 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
For the study, Sanders and colleagues assigned 308 patients with atrial fibrillation to one of three groups based on their level of fitness: low, adequate, or high fitness. All had a body mass index (BMI) of 27 or more, meaning they were overweight or obese.

The groups were followed for about four years to see how their level of fitness affected the recurrence of the abnormal heartbeat. Patients were also offered a doctor-led weight loss and exercise program.

Popular Heartburn Meds Linked to Higher Risk of Heart Attack

People who use certain heartburn drugs for a long period of time may have a slightly heightened risk of suffering a heart attack, a new study suggests.

Using medical records from nearly 300,000 U.S. adults with acid reflux disease (commonly called heartburn), researchers found that the risk of heart attack was slightly elevated among those using proton pump inhibitors.
Proton pump inhibitors are a group of acid-suppressing drugs that include brand-names such as Prevacid, Prilosec and Nexium. In 2009, they were the third most commonly used type of drug in the United States, the researchers said.

The study, funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, adds to the list of risks linked to prolonged use of proton pump inhibitors.

“These are powerful drugs, and we already know they have negative effects,” said Dr. F. Paul Buckley III, surgical director at the Scott & White Heartburn and Acid Reflex Center, in Round Rock, Texas.

Most of those long-term risks are linked to the drug’s suppression of stomach acids, said Buckley, who was not involved in the new study.

When stomach acids are blocked, the body is less able to absorb certain nutrients, including magnesium, calcium and vitamin B12. And proton pump inhibitors have been linked to problems such as bone-density loss and fractures.

Researcher Dr. John Cooke, chair of cardiovascular sciences at the Houston Methodist Research Institute estimates proton pump inhibitor users were 16 to 21% more likely to suffer a heart attack than people with chronic acid reflux who were not taking the drugs.