Arrhythmia - Risk Factors - Risk Factors

The chances of having arrhythmia grow as we age, in part because of changes in heart tissue and in how the heart works over time. Older people are also more likely to have health conditions, including heart disease, that raise the risk of arrhythmia.

Some types of arrhythmia happen more often in children and young adults, including arrhythmias due to congenital heart defects or inherited conduction disorders.

Some research suggests that exposure to air pollutants, especially particulates and gases, is linked to a short-term risk of arrhythmia.

You may have an increased risk of some types of arrhythmia if your parent or other close relative has had arrhythmia, too. Also, some inherited types of heart disease can raise your risk of arrhythmia. With some conduction disorders, genes mutation cause the ion channels that transmit signals through heart cells to work incorrectly or stop working.

Your risk for arrhythmia may be higher because of certain lifestyle habits, including:

• Drinking alcohol
• Smoking
• Using illegal drugs, such as cocaine or amphetamines

Arrhythmias are more common in people who have diseases or conditions that weaken the heart, but many conditions can raise the risk for arrhythmia. These include:

• Aneurysms
• Autoimmune disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus
• Cardiomyopathy, which affects the heart muscle
• Diabetes, which increases the risk of high blood pressure and coronary heart disease
• Eating disorders, such as bulimia and anorexia, which cause electrolyte imbalance and severe malnutrition
• Heart attack
• Heart inflammation
• Heart failure, which weakens the heart and changes the way electrical signals move through the heart
• Heart tissue that is too thick or stiff or that has not formed normally. Arrhythmias can be more common among people who have had surgery to repair a congenital heart defect.
• High blood pressure
• Viral infections such as influenza (flu) or COVID-19.” Watch our video on how SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, may lead to or worsen an arrhythmia. Additionally, we offer information and resources on how we are working hard to support necessary COVID-19 research. 
• Kidney disease
• Heart valves. Leaking or narrowed heart valves make the heart work too hard and can lead to heart failure.
• Low blood sugar
• Lung diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Musculoskeletal disorders
• Obesity
• Overactive or underactive thyroid gland, caused by too much or too little thyroid hormone in the body. The most common cause of excess thyroid hormone is Graves’ disease.
• Sepsis, a toxic immune response to infection
• Sleep apnea, which can stress the heart by preventing it from getting enough oxygen

Studies suggest that white Americans may be more likely than African Americans to have some arrhythmias, such as atrial fibrillation, although African Americans have higher rates of high blood pressure and other arrhythmia risk factors.

Some studies suggest that men are more likely to have atrial fibrillation than women. However, women taking certain medicines appear to be at a higher risk of a certain type of arrhythmia. Certain times of the menstrual cycle also appear to increase women’s risk of some arrhythmia events. If you are a pregnant woman, you may notice that an existing arrhythmia occurs more often. Benign extra beats are also more common during pregnancy. In some cases, the complications that can develop with arrhythmia also differ by sex.

You may be at a higher risk of developing atrial flutter in the early days and weeks after surgery involving the heart, lungs, or esophagus.