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Does Hyperthyroidism Cause Atrial Fibrillation?
Question: Is it possible for an under active thyroid to contribute to or cause Atrial Fibrillation?
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Brief Answer:
Hypothyroidism is not thought to contribute to a. fibrillation
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome,
It is well documented that hyperthyroidism (too much thyroxine) can increase the risk of atrial fibrillation. But whether too little thyroxine from hypothyroidism can contribute to atrial fibrillation is unclear and is not generally considered a risk factor for it.
Sometimes before a person has hypothyroidism they have hyperthyroidism, and if that was the case with you, then it could have contributed to atrial fibrillation.
Other things that increase the risk of atrial fibrillation are:
High blood pressure
Heart attacks
Coronary artery disease
Abnormal heart valves
Heart defects you're born with (congenital)
Exposure to stimulants, such as some cold medications (for example pseudo ephedrine), caffeine, tobacco or alcohol
Sick sinus syndrome (a problem with the pacemaker area of the heart)
Lung diseases
Previous heart surgery
Viral infections that affect the heart
Physical stress due to pneumonia, surgery or other illnesses
Sleep apnea
I hope this information helps. You might want to discuss this with your cardiologist too.
If you interested, here is an article on the subject. You won't be able to just click on the link. To see it, copy and paste it into your search bar.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC0000/
Hypothyroidism is not thought to contribute to a. fibrillation
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome,
It is well documented that hyperthyroidism (too much thyroxine) can increase the risk of atrial fibrillation. But whether too little thyroxine from hypothyroidism can contribute to atrial fibrillation is unclear and is not generally considered a risk factor for it.
Sometimes before a person has hypothyroidism they have hyperthyroidism, and if that was the case with you, then it could have contributed to atrial fibrillation.
Other things that increase the risk of atrial fibrillation are:
High blood pressure
Heart attacks
Coronary artery disease
Abnormal heart valves
Heart defects you're born with (congenital)
Exposure to stimulants, such as some cold medications (for example pseudo ephedrine), caffeine, tobacco or alcohol
Sick sinus syndrome (a problem with the pacemaker area of the heart)
Lung diseases
Previous heart surgery
Viral infections that affect the heart
Physical stress due to pneumonia, surgery or other illnesses
Sleep apnea
I hope this information helps. You might want to discuss this with your cardiologist too.
If you interested, here is an article on the subject. You won't be able to just click on the link. To see it, copy and paste it into your search bar.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC0000/
Note: For more information on hormonal imbalance symptoms or unmanaged diabetes with other comorbid conditions, get back to us & Consult with an Endocrinologist. Click here to book an appointment.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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