Research ArticlePractice

Atrial fibrillation and physical activity

Should we exercise caution?

N. John Bosomworth
Canadian Family Physician December 2015; 61 (12) 1061-1070;

Abstract

Objective To review the evidence on the effects of various levels of physical activity (PA) on the incidence of atrial fibrillation (AF) in both the general population and in endurance athletes.

Data sources A PubMed search was done initially using the MeSH headings or text words (with the search-field descriptor TIAB [title and abstract]) atrial fibrillation and exercise or physical activity or athlet* or sport*, without additional filters. Conclusions regarding quality and strength of evidence were based on the GRADE (grading of recommendations, assessment, development, and evaluation) system.

Study selection No interventional studies were available. Observational studies were therefore considered acceptable, and, although larger long-term prospective cohort studies were preferred, case-control or cross-sectional trials were also included in this review.

Synthesis Available evidence suggests a dose-response association linking increased exercise levels with reduced incident AF in women. The same is true in men at low and moderate levels of exertional activity. In men only, high levels of PA are associated with increased risk of AF in most, but not all, studies. This risk is moderate, with a hazard ratio of 1.29 in one of the better studies. The risk of AF for most people who exercise regularly is lower than that of a matched sedentary population.

Conclusion Atrial fibrillation is probably less common as PA increases, with a demonstrable dose-response relationship. Exercise at any level should be promoted for its effect on physical well-being and mortality reduction. In men exercising at high levels, beneficial effects on AF might be lost and risk might exceed that of the sedentary population; however, the evidence is neither robust nor consistent. These men should be made aware of this modest increase in risk should they choose to continue to engage in high levels of PA.

Case description

H.R., a 60-year-old man, visits you in the office. He has been a runner for 20 years and has just completed his 15th marathon. His physical examination findings show no abnormalities and he has an unremarkable medical history. His father had atrial fibrillation (AF) and died following a stroke at the age of 79. Three of his friends in his running club have recently developed AF and have been advised to reduce their levels of exercise. H.R. wants to know whether it is safe to continue his current training schedule of 50 to 60 km per week.

In 1967, Kannel made the following statement: “Prospective epidemiologic studies are hampered by inadequate methods for assessing physical activity, and by a paucity of really physically active adults in the populations under study.”1 In the span of more than 4 decades since Kannel’s observation, a paradox has arisen in the manifestation of physical activity (PA) in North America. Data from the Canadian Health Measures Survey using accelerometry, rather than self-reported estimations, suggest that 69% of adult activity is sedentary.2 Only 15% of Canadian adults in that survey met or exceeded the World Health Organization’s recommendation3 for leisure-time PA. In contrast, increasing numbers of people are participating in endurance sports4 and extreme sports.5

A recent survey in the United States (US) comparing cohorts from 1988 to 20106 shows the sedentary population to have increased from 19.0% to 51.7% in women and from 11.4% to 43.5% in men. On the other hand, marathon participation has increased 140% since 1990 in the US,4 and the numbers of 24-hour ultramarathon participants have increased, with more female representation and the fastest times being posted by older runners in the 40-to-49 age group.5 There is a trend to steadily increasing marathon participation by both women (43%) and masters runners older than 40 years of age (47%).4 Comparable statistics are not available for Canada.

Probably the most accurate estimation of the prevalence of AF comes from a Swedish national registry at 2.9%, last reported in 2010.7 Prevalence data are not collected for Canada.8 In the US, estimates are lower and highly variable because of coding inconsistencies9 and differing database sources.9–11 Prevalence increases with age in the Swedish registry, rising steeply from 4.2% among those aged 60 to 69 to 13.4% among those aged 80 to 89.7 General prevalence is also rising, with a relative annual increase of 4.3% to 5%,9,11 partly owing to aging of the population.

The diagnosis of AF is improving with advances in technology such as implantable loop recorders. However, it is estimated that 10% to 40% of AF might be asymptomatic,12,13 leading to underestimation of both incidence and prevalence.

This review will look at the effects of extremes of exercise on AF. Because most people are at the low end of the PA spectrum, it might be expected that the beneficial effect of exercise on cardiac risk factors14 might be helpful in reducing risk of AF. However, there is concern that high-duration or high-intensity PA might increase the risk of AF, and the evidence for this will be examined.

DATA SOURCES

Exercise has total prevalence in that even sedentary people exhibit some PA. This confounder, along with compliance and blinding issues, makes controlled studies difficult.15

Study selection

A PubMed search was done initially using the MeSH headings or text words (with the search-field descriptor TIAB [title and abstract]) atrial fibrillation and exercise or physical activity or athlet* or sport*, without additional filters. Recent available reviews16–20 and 3 meta-analyses21–23 were searched for additional trials. Conclusions regarding quality and strength of evidence were based on the GRADE (grading of recommendations, assessment, development, and evaluation) system.24

No interventional studies were available. Observational studies were therefore considered acceptable, and, although larger long-term prospective cohort studies were preferred, case-control or cross-sectional trials were also included in this review.

SYNTHESIS

Early studies examining athletes with arrhythmias suggested that most were young, male, and competing at an elite level.25,26 Approximately 25% of these arrhythmias were AF. Several case-control studies that examined patients presenting with lone AF in arrhythmia clinic27,28 or emergency department29 settings followed. Odds ratios for AF in patients engaged in vigorous sports ranged from 3.13 to 15.11 in these studies. Again, most patients were male. Most had paroxysmal AF and predominantly vagal triggers, and, in keeping with the lone AF definition, there were no echocardiographic or clinical cardiac abnormalities apart from occasional “mild” hypertension. These studies involved highly selected patients, did not correct for confounding variables, and were at high risk of bias.

Subsequent studies have included the general population and athletes, and have examined patients at all ages, including those with cardiac risk factors and comorbidities.

Cohort studies

In observational literature, cohort studies are the most reliable because they can clarify cause and effect and help determine the incidence and natural history of a condition.30 Of the available cohort studies listed in Table 1,31–46 the studies by Mozaffarian et al (Cardiovascular Health Study),35 Aizer et al (Physicians’ Health Study),36 Everett et al (Women’s Health Study),38 and Andersen et al39 stand out because of appropriate study populations, large participant numbers, and control of various sources of bias.

The Women’s Health Study38 presented a substantial 16% reduction in AF among women who engaged in strenuous PA 1 to 3 times per week, but this advantage was lost with correction for body mass index. No benefit or risk could be demonstrated for the influence of either intensity or frequency of PA on AF. The Cardiovascular Health Study35 showed a graded reduction in AF progressing from light to moderate PA, but this benefit disappeared with high-intensity exercise; 58% of participants were women. The large Danish Diet, Cancer, and Health Study database,32 composed of 49% women, showed no change in AF incidence with exercise; however, very few participants undertook strenuous exercise. Another large study of runners and walkers41 demonstrated graded reduction in arrhythmias with increasing PA, with younger participants and women showing the most benefit. Other cohorts that included women showed no effects of PA on AF.37,40,45 It is reasonable to conclude that in women, increased PA is associated with neutral or reduced risk of AF. Increasing participation in endurance events by women might provide further information.

View this table:
Table 1

Cohort studies

Larger cohort trials in the general population provide an opportunity to examine the effects of low- and moderate-level exercise. The Cardiovascular Health Study,35 which combined women and men, suggested incremental reduction in incident AF going from low to moderate PA levels. An increase was seen at high exercise levels, but risk for these participants was no different than that for non-exercisers (Figures 1 and 2).35,36 With a large cohort of men, Drca et al43 showed no change in AF among men who continued to exercise for longer intervals; however, for a smaller subset of men who were active more than 5 hours per week at age 30 and subsequently remained active, the relative risk of AF was 1.19. In a study with a very large cohort of men and women, Williams and Franklin41 suggested a continuous reduction in arrhythmias of 4.8% per metabolic equivalent task hours per day in an aggregate of walkers and runners (Figure 3).41 Arrhythmias were self-reported and not differentiated, but AF was considered to be the largest contributor to symptoms.

Figure 1
Figure 1

Cardiovascular Health Study data to determine hazard ratios for AF, by exercise levels: Circled data point indicates a statistically significant change from baseline.

AF–atrial fibrillation.

Data from Mozaffarian et al.35

Figure 2
Figure 2

Physicians’ Health Study data to determine hazard ratios for AF, by PA per week: Circled data point indicates a statistically significant change from baseline.

AF–atrial fibrillation, PA–physical activity.

Data from Aizer et al.36

Figure 3
Figure 3

National Walkers’ and Runners’ Health studies data to determine hazard ratios for arrhythmias: Circled data points indicate a statistically significant change from baseline.

Data from Williams and Franklin.41

Data that show an increase in the risk of AF at the upper extremes of PA have been derived primarily from men, usually functioning at competition level (Table 2).31,34,37,39,46–50 A number of studies in men31,33,34 and some very large cohorts36,39,40,46 document an increase in incident AF with increasing levels of activity. Some of these studies include only high-level athletes, so do not consider more modest activity levels.31,34,39,46 Hazard ratios (HRs) for increased AF range from 1.2 in the Physicians’ Health Study36 to 8.8 among a cohort of marathon runners34 (Table 1).31–46 Of particular interest is a study by Andersen et al39; with a mean follow-up of 9.7 years, this study had 52 755 competitive cross-country skiers who were very fit athletes participating in a 90-km race. Compared with athletes who completed only 1 race, those participants who completed more than 5 races had an increased HR of 1.29 for AF (Figure 4).39 This is a reliable study examining vigorous activity, and it extends the dose-response curve established by cohorts taken from the general population.

Figure 4
Figure 4

Hazard ratios for AF of competitive skiers, by number of completed races: Circled data points indicate a statistically significant change from baseline.

AF–atrial fibrillation.

Data from Andersen et al.39

Several trials done in men showed no exercise effect.32,37,44,45 The larger cohort study by Frost et al32 considered only work-related PA and might not have been comparable to other studies. Pelliccia et al37 examined a small population of Olympic athletes with a much lower mean age than in other studies.

Overall, cohort studies of incident AF in men suggest either no effect or a benefit at low and moderate levels of PA. In general population studies (Figures 1 and 2),35,36 there is a suggestion of increased risk at the upper extremes of intensity or frequency of exercise. Of trials done in competitive athletes, all but 1 small cohort37 suggest an increasing dose response for AF with increasing intensity, frequency, or duration of PA. However, contributing to uncertainty at this level is the Williams and Franklin study,41 which examines activity outcomes in excess of 3 times the currently recommended exercise level (1.8 metabolic equivalent task hours per day). In spite of the likelihood that some runners in this study (only 41% men) are approaching activity levels seen in elite athletes, a dose–response relationship is seen for arrhythmia reduction at all levels of exercise intensity (Figure 3).41

Studies in competitive athletes

Most available studies evaluating competitive athletes have shown increased risk of AF with higher levels of PA (Table 2)31,34,37,39,46–50; however, some of these were case-control or cross-sectional studies and had a high risk of bias. The more reliable trials34,39,49 suggest a HR varying from 1.16 to 8.8 for increased risk of AF, with most of this very heterogeneous group of studies falling closer to the lower end of this range. All but 2 studies37,39 included only men. The analysis by Andersen et al, noted previously, is likely to be most representative of risk in elite athletes (Figure 4).39

DISCUSSION

Available evidence suggests a dose-response relationship between increased exercise levels with reduced incident AF in women. The same is true in men at low and moderate levels of exertional activity. In men only, high levels of PA are associated with increased risk of AF in most, but not all, studies. This risk is moderate, with an HR of 1.29 in one of the better studies.39 Men undertaking high levels of endurance activity should be made aware that this is associated with a modest increase in risk of AF (grade 1C: strong recommendation, low-quality evidence). The risk of AF for most people who exercise regularly is lower than that of a matched sedentary population. There is currently no firm threshold or guideline that can be drawn from existing literature.

View this table:
Table 2

Studies in athletes

Pathophysiology

There is controversy as to whether changes seen in the cardiac structure and function of athletes represent benign adaptation to the stress of exercise or pathological change producing increased risk of arrhythmias.51 It is also unclear whether increased atrial ectopy from the pulmonary veins produced by increased PA is the primary cause of observed arrhythmias16,17 or whether other mechanisms are dominant. Baldesberger and colleagues47 did not document increased ectopy in their survey of elite cyclists.

Increased vagal tone is present in many endurance athletes.52 This can lead to bradycardia and reduced atrial refractory period, and serve as a trigger or modulator of heart rhythm by creating conditions for re-entry.

Exercise induces an increase in the pressure of pulmonary arteries, which is especially prominent in athletes.53 During PA, higher pressure measures are seen in the right atrium and ventricle, with progressive reduction in right ventricular ejection fraction as duration of intense exercise increases.54 Dilation of the less-muscular chambers of the atria and the right ventricle might result if exercise stress continues and there is insufficient time for recovery, leading, in some people, to microtrauma, inflammation, fibrosis, and potential substrate for arrhythmias.55 Some authors argue for the presence of an exercise-induced arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy.53,56

Despite the speculation summarized in Figure 5, no established physiologic mechanism exists to explain any association between high exercise intensity and AF.

Figure 5
Figure 5

Characteristics of endurance exercise speculated to promote AF

AF—atrial fibrillation.

Prognosis

High-performance athletes with AF are probably unlikely to have comorbidities. The population subset with these findings is generally men who are younger than age 60 with normal findings on physical examinations, chest x-ray scans, electrocardiograms, and echocardiographic investigations57—criteria for the condition previously termed lone AF. The effect of exercise on risk factors such as hypertension and glucose intolerance, together with the effect of preselection of healthy people who can better tolerate PA,18 might predispose athletes to lower cardiovascular risk over time. In one study, paroxysmal AF in the general population progressed to permanent AF in 19% over 10 years.58 In another study of athletes with AF who were followed for 9 years, paroxysmal AF continued to occur in 56% of them, paroxysmal AF progressed to permanent in 18%, and no symptoms were observed in 26%.59 While there might be some prognostic value, the term lone AF is probably otherwise not useful, as management is mainly focused on thromboembolism prevention and symptom control, as it is for all AF.60

The odds ratios for mortality in AF were found in the Framingham study to range between 1.5 and 1.9, with the lowest risk being in men.61 Available data in athletes with AF show either no change47 or reduction in cardiovascular and all-cause mortality.39,62

Numerous meta-analyses without exception have demonstrated reduction in mortality from 15% to 50% over various time periods as a result of PA.63–70 This reduction is also seen in studies done specifically on athletes.62,71 The most marked mortality reduction is seen in progression from sedentary to light activity.66,70,72–75 At the highest level of exercise intensity there is a suggestion of loss of mortality reduction76–79; however, in no case is this risk higher than that of the sedentary population.

Case resolution

H.R. has no identified risk factors for AF or heart disease and, as a runner, has already self-identified as being at lower relative risk of cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. As a 60-year-old man, H.R. has a 5.7% risk of developing AF.7 His present activity level might be associated with a 30% increased relative risk of developing AF.39 His 10-year risk of developing AF might therefore approach 7.4%.

As a land surveyor and mountaineer, H.R. requires a high level of fitness to maintain his quality of life. He elects to continue at his present activity level and accept the modest increased risk this might present. You inform him that a reduction in his activity to moderate levels is associated with a lower-than-average risk of AF with preservation of the health benefits of exercise.

Conclusion

Atrial fibrillation is probably less common as PA increases, with a demonstrable dose-response association. Exercise at any level should be promoted for its effect on physical well-being and mortality reduction. In men exercising at high levels, beneficial effects on AF might be lost and risk might exceed that of the sedentary population; however, the evidence is neither robust nor consistent. These men should be made aware of this modest increase in risk should they choose to continue to engage in high levels of PA.

Notes

EDITOR’S KEY POINTS

  • This review looked at the evidence on the effects of extreme exercise on the incidence of atrial fibrillation (AF) and found there is an association between increasing physical activity and reduced incident AF at low to moderate levels of exercise in men and at all levels of exercise in women.

  • In men only, there might be an association between very high physical activity levels and increased incident AF, but the extent of this increase is modest, and there is no effect on mortality.

  • Maintenance of an exercise program at any desired intensity should be encouraged to promote well-being and reduce risk of mortality. Men undertaking high levels of endurance activity should be made aware that this is associated with a modest increase in the risk of AF. There is currently no firm threshold or guideline that can be drawn from existing literature.

Footnotes

  • La traduction en français de cet article se trouve à www.cfp.ca dans la table des matières du numéro de décembre 2015 à la page page e542.

  • Competing interests

    None declared

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Atrial fibrillation and physical activity
N. John Bosomworth
Canadian Family Physician Dec 2015, 61 (12) 1061-1070;
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