A study is suggesting that overweight or obese patients suffering atrial fibrillation (AF) may be more likely to see their condition improve with surgery than drugs vs. thinner AF patients. The results of this new study were published in the December edition of the journal HeartRhythm.

AF patients are likely to experience strokes, and most patients use different drugs like Multaq and Warfarin to treat their AF symptoms. However, some patients are using an alternative to medication, which is called catheter ablation. Catheter ablation treats AF by “placing a thin tube (catheter) in the heart and burning off the tissue or pathways that are responsible for irregular heartbeat.”

For this new study, it was discovered that 79 percent of the 660 participants were overweight or considered obese. The study also found that the ablation procedure worked just as well for helping to control AF for both thin and overweight patients, but the obese patients gained more in terms of their quality of life from the ablation. This is remarkable since their quality of life before the procedure was far worse than the thinner patients before the ablation procedure. After about a year, the overweight patients also reported that they experienced less limitations to their physical health after the ablation than their thinner counterparts. The heavier patients were also reporting more vitality and less anxiety or depression as well.

“We have some reassuring news for the obese population because we are reporting improvements in quality of life when they undergo ablation for AF,” said study author Dr. Sanghamitra Mohanty, a cardiologist at St. David’s Medical Center in Austin, Texas. “However, this paper does not attempt to trivialize the importance of weight control,” she said.

Obesity is also a risk factor for AF and other diseases.

If the surgery proves to be an overall better alternative to taking medications like Multaq for treating AF, it could force the medication to be recalled sooner because Multaq is known to cause patients to suffer serious adverse side effects. Some of those side effects include liver failure, worsening heart condition and strokes.

If you or a loved one have developed liver failure or a worsening heart condition after taking 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.