According to a recent study conducted by Dr. Owais Khawaja of Brigham and Women’s Hospital of Boston, seniors who live in rest homes that have high plasma levels of free fatty acids (FFAs) were more likely to develop AF.

“Free fatty acids can provide information above and beyond that of standard AF risk factors,” Khawaja told Reuters Health in an email. “Therefore, if our findings are confirmed by others, FFA may help identify older individuals at risk of future AF.”

Khawaja and his team reported in the online edition of the April 12th edition of the American Journal of Cardiology that high FFA levels in seniors having been linked to higher insulin resistance, high blood pressure and lack of physical activity had “not been investigated in the general population including older adults, a group extremely vulnerable to AF” until now.

For this study, researchers analyzed data collected from 4,175 men and women aged 65 years or older who were also members of the prospective Cardiovascular Health Study cohort. The researchers then measured the participants’ plasma FFA during the years 1992 and 1993. When they followed up with the patients after a period of 10 years, they found that 1,041 new cases of AF had been reported. While this study still requires confirmation, the researchers believe that these results do have some value to them.

“Although prevention of AF may be difficult,” they write, “novel therapies are increasingly available to convert and maintain normal sinus rhythm, and earlier identification of patients with AF might allow earlier use of anticoagulants to avert cerebrovascular events.”

AF can be a deadly condition that is treated with drugs that have proven to be dangerous, including Multaq. With Multaq, patients often develop liver failure and a worsening of their heart conditions, which is why the drug is no longer being prescribed unless all other medications prove useless. If you or a loved one have developed liver failure or a worsening of your heart condition after using Multaq, contact attorney Greg Jones today for a free consultation. I am experienced at fighting Multaq lawsuits and may be able to help you recover money for your injuries.