According to a new study, one in every four women may develop irregular heartbeats after menopause as a result of contributing variables, such as stressful situations and insomnia. The study, published in the journal of the American Heart Association, discovered that women between the ages of 50 and 79 suffer from atrial fibrillation, also known as AFib, which causes irregular and often highly rapid heart rhythms.
Blood clots, stroke, heart failure and other cardiovascular problems can result from atrial fibrillation. The researchers examined data from the Women’s Health Initiative, a large US study, which included more than 83,000 surveys completed by women in this age range. Participants were asked a series of critical questions, such as stressful life events, their sense of optimism, social support and insomnia, as well as questions about sleeping habits, such as whether they had trouble falling asleep, waking up several times during the night and overall sleep quality.
After a decade of follow-up, they discovered that around 25 per cent (23,954 women) acquired atrial fibrillation. Atrial fibrillation is an electrical conduction system disorder that is prone to hormonal changes caused by stress and lack of sleep. Researchers discovered a link between stressful life events, poor sleep and symptoms like despair, anxiety or feeling overwhelmed by one’s surroundings.
It is unclear if these factors gradually compound to increase the incidence of atrial fibrillation in women as they age.