TOPLINE:

The volume of epicardial adipose tissue was independently associated with new-onset atrial fibrillation (AFib) in individuals without a history of the condition. Patients with the highest volumes of fatty tissue were more than twice as likely to develop AFib as those with the lowest volumes.

METHODOLOGY:

Researchers examined the association between the volume of epicardial adipose tissue and the incidence of AFib in a general population cohort from the greater Copenhagen area.

The researchers included 2292 participants aged 40 years or older (mean age, 59.4; 54% women) with no prior history of AFib and normal kidney function.

The participants underwent cardiac CT angiography of the volume of epicardial adipose tissue. The scans were quantified and categorized into quartiles.

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