Aggressively treating high blood pressure might reduce the risk of a type of irregular heartbeat, according to a new study.
Atrial fibrillation, or AFib, can lead to stroke, heart failure and other cardiovascular complications. The condition is on the rise, with an estimated 12.1 million Americans expected to have it in 2030. The most common modifiable risk factor for AFib is high blood pressure, which affects 46% of U.S. adults.
The study, published Monday in the American Heart Association journal Hypertension, sought to find out if intensively lowering a person’s blood pressure to normal might prevent them from developing AFib.
