According to information from a new Norwegian study, men who exercise and experience a low heart rate during said exercise are at an increased risk of developing atrial fibrillation (AF) in the future. This study was conducted exclusively on men.

“We found that the men who did not exceed 100 bpm at the end of six minutes of workload had a significantly increased AF risk,” writes Dr. Irene Grundvold (Oslo University Hospital, Norway).

Grunvold and her colleagues published a report of their findings on July 21, 2013 in the journal Circulation: Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology. During this study, the men who showed a heart rate of 110 bpm after six minutes of exercise were far more likely to develop AF when compared to those who had a bpm rate of 125. What this shows is that people who take part in endurance exercising may be more likely to develop AF when they are older. In another Norwegian study that looked at cross-country skiers, the lower heart rate proved to be a long-term AF predictor as well.

During the study, researchers analyzed data collected from more than 200 male participants who each took part in a cardiovascular health survey between 1972-1975. All of the participants were healthy and had no heart problems during the survey. During the 30-year follow-up, 13 percent of the men had developed AF by the time they reached 71.

“The present main results — an increased AF risk associated with low heart rate at moderate exercise in healthy men — might suggest involvement of an inappropriate heart rate response to exercise with prolonged parasympathetic activation,” suggest Grundvold and colleagues. “Vagally mediated paroxysmal AF may be particularly important in athletic men without apparent heart disease.”

AF is a heart condition that causes irregular and fluttering heartbeats. It is treated with various different anticoagulant medications, including Multaq made by Sanofi-Aventis. Multaq has also been linked to serious side effects which include a worsening of the heart condition, liver failure and lung toxicity. These side effects have forced the FDA to issue a recommendation that Multaq not be used unless all other medications have failed.

If you or someone you love has suffered from any side effects linked to Multaq use, contact attorney Greg Jones today for a free consultation. I am experienced at Multaq litigation and may be able to help you recover money for your injuries.