title: The impact of height on the risk of atrial fibrillation: the Cardiovascular Health Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained arrhythmia. Increased body size has been associated with AF, but the relationship is not well understood. In this study, we examined the effect of increased height on the risk of AF and explore potential mediators and implications for clinical practice.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We examined data from 5860 individuals taking part in the Cardiovascular Health Study, a cohort study of older US adults followed for a median of 13.6 (women) and 10.3 years (men). Multivariate linear models and age-stratified Cox proportional hazards and risk models were used, with focus on the effect of height on both prevalent and incident AF. Among 684 (22.6%) and 568 (27.1%) incident cases in women and men, respectively, greater height was significantly associated with AF risk [hazard ratio (HR)(women) per 10 cm 1.32, confidence interval (CI) 1.16-1.50, P < 0.0001; HR(men) per 10 cm 1.26, CI 1.11-1.44, P < 0.0001]. The association was such that the incremental risk from sex was completely attenuated by the inclusion of height (for men, HR 1.48, CI 1.32-1.65, without height, and HR 0.94, CI 0.85-1.20, with height included). Inclusion of height in the Framingham model for incident AF improved discrimination. In sequential models, however, we found minimal attenuation of the risk estimates for AF with adjustment for left ventricular (LV) mass and left atrial (LA) dimension. The associations of LA and LV size measurements with AF risk were weakened when indexed to height.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Independent from sex, increased height is significantly associated with the risk of AF.
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Institute, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 185 Pilgrim Road, Baker 4, Boston, MA 02215, USA. marosenb@bidmc.harvard.edu
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Rosenberg
authors.forename: Kristen K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Patton
authors.forename: Nona
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sotoodehnia
authors.forename: Maria G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Karas
authors.forename: Jorge R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Kizer
authors.forename: Peter J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Zimetbaum
authors.forename: James D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Siscovick
authors.forename: John S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Gottdiener
authors.forename: Richard A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Kronmal
authors.forename: Susan R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Heckbert
authors.forename: Kenneth J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Mukamal
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology / Q000209:etiology*; D001827:Body Height; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012737:Sex Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology