title: Regular physical activity and risk of atrial fibrillation: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although previous studies have suggested that competitive athletes have a higher risk of atrial fibrillation than the general population, limited and inconsistent data are available on the association between regular physical activity and the risk of atrial fibrillation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A systematic, comprehensive literature search was performed using MEDLINE, EMBASE, and COCHRANE until 2011. Extracted data from the eligible studies were meta-analyzed using fixed effects model. Four studies, which included 95 526 subjects, were eligible for meta-analysis. For all of the studies included, the extreme groups (ie, maximum versus minimal amount of physical activity) were used for the current analyses. The total number of participants belonging to the extreme groups was 43 672. The pooled odds ratio (95% confidence interval) for atrial fibrillation among regular exercisers was 1.08 (0.97-1.21).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data do not support a statistically significant association between regular physical activity and increased incidence of atrial fibrillation.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, VA Boston Healthcare System, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. Peter.Ofman@VA.gov
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ofman
authors.forename: Owais
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Khawaja
authors.forename: Catherine R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Rahilly-Tierney
authors.forename: Adelqui
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Peralta
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hoffmeister
authors.forename: Mathew R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Reynolds
authors.forename: J Michael
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Gaziano
authors.forename: Luc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Djousse
mesh_terms: D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014943:Global Health; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D009043:Motor Activity; D016017:Odds Ratio; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D012307:Risk Factors