How Do I Prevent Atrial Fibrillation In the Summer Heat?

Does atrial fibrillation (AFib) increase in hot weather? How do dehydration, electrolytes, heat exhaustion, and air pollution affect AFib? Do UV and vitamin D play a role in increasing AFib? Keep reading to find out the answers to these questions!

Preventing atrial fibrillation in the summer heat requires taking several proactive steps to manage your heart health and reduce triggers. Here are some tips to keep you safe:

1. Stay Hydrated

2. Avoid Extreme Heat

3. Check Medications

Role of dehydration and electrolytes on AFib

In the summer heat, it is easy to forget the importance of drinking water and consuming enough electrolytes. Keeping water intake and electrolyte levels in balance is especially important for those with a heart arrhythmia like AFib.

So what exactly are electrolytes?

Electrolytes are minerals, such as calcium, sodium, and potassium, that play a crucial role in various bodily functions, including regulating nerve and muscle function, maintaining fluid balance, and supporting chemical reactions within the body. So electrolytes are essential for keeping the body’s internal environment stable and functioning properly, including the contractile machinery of the heart. Ion concentration changes are what result in the contraction of the heart muscle. These Electrolytes can be consumed through sports drinks, food, or supplements. A recent study has shown that low serum potassium and magnesium levels are especially associated with an increased atrial fibrillation risk. However, it is important to attempt to keep dietary sodium intake relatively low as this has also been shown to be a risk factor for AFib. Snacks that help with maintaining an adequate electrolyte concentration are for example fruits like bananas, avocado and watermelon, as well as vegetables like kale and tomatoes. Seeds and nuts are also rich in minerals.

Another study showed that hydration status was also associated with atrial fibrillation. This can be exacerbated by, higher temperatures and increased sweating, as well as drinking diuretics like caffeine and alcohol. Dehydration is a common trigger for an arrhythmia episode due to a disrupted electrolyte balance.

Exercising in the heat with AFib

While light exercise like walking, yoga, or biking has shown positive effects on AFib, more strenuous exercise appears to have a negative impact. In extreme heat, it is difficult to realize when the heart is overworked. In order to avoid atrial fibrillation attacks it is advisable not to exercise in these extreme weather conditions. Overexertion can also lead to dehydration which was earlier mentioned as a trigger.

Vitamin D may reduce AFib

So far we have covered some of the possible negative effects of the summer heat on atrial fibrillation but are there any positives? Interestingly a study conducted in Poland found that vitamin D specifically obtained from the sun seems to have a protective effect against AFib. They found this association in female patients in particular. In our bodies, the UVB rays of the sun interact with proteins to produce easily absorbable vitamin D. The study found that this seems to reduce the frequency of AFib paroxysms.

Another study found that a vitamin D deficiency seems to worsen symptoms and suggested that supplementation might be a way to improve AFib symptoms and reduce attacks.

Managing the hot temperatures to avoid AFib

Extremely hot weather can not only be uncomfortable but also quite hazardous for those with heart conditions and arrhythmias. Hotter weather causes your body to have to work harder to maintain its core temperature which in turn results in extra strain placed on the heart muscle and other organs. There is especially a high incidence of atrial fibrillation in people suffering from heat stroke. Heat stroke has also been associated with heart attack, heart failure, and ischemia. Therefore it is vital to keep yourself hydrated and cool during the summer to avoid cardiac events. Going swimming, and using ice packs and fans is a good way to ensure your heart won’t be overexerted by the heat and the circulatory system works as it is supposed to.

Air pollution and AFib

Are you traveling or living in a big city/country you know suffers from suboptimal air quality? Air quality tends to be worse during the summer due to the increased temperature and sunlight which cause chemical reactions that potentially lead to harmful substances forming. Worse air quality and fine particulate pollution have been shown to be associated with increased incidence of atrial fibrillation and also stroke.

Referenties

• Wu, Y., Kong, X. J., Ji, Y. Y., Fan, J., Ji, C. C., Chen, X. M., Ma, Y. D., Tang, A. L., Cheng, Y. J., & Wu, S. H. (2024). Serum electrolyte concentrations and risk of atrial fibrillation: an observational and mendelian randomization study. BMC genomics, 25(1), 280. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-024-10197-2
• Rafaqat, S., Khurshid, H., & Rafaqat, S. (2022). Electrolyte’s imbalance role in atrial fibrillation: pharmacological management. International Journal of Arrhythmia, 23(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s42444-022-00065-z
• Chuda, A., Kaszkowiak, M., Banach, M., Maciejewski, M., & Bielecka-Dabrowa, A. (2021). The Relationship of Dehydration and Body Mass Index With the Occurrence of Atrial Fibrillation in Heart Failure Patients. Frontiers in cardiovascular medicine, 8, 668653. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcvm.2021.668653
• Sepehri Shamloo, A., Arya, A., Dagres, N., & Hindricks, G. (2018). Exercise and Atrial Fibrillation: Some Good News and Some Bad News. Galen medical journal, 7, e1401. https://doi.org/10.22086/gmj.v0i0.1401
• Głuszak, A., Kocoń, S., Szaniawska, E., Zuk, K., Aljabali, P., Gluza, A., … & Siwek, K. (2009). May sunshine protect women against paroxysms of atrial fibrillation?. The Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine, 219(4), 303-306. https://doi.org/10.1620/tjem.219.303
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• Paul, A., Alex, R., Jacob, J. R., & Yadav, B. (2019). Effects of heat stroke on surface ECG: a study on clinical outcomes. Heart Asia, 11(2), e011221. https://doi.org/10.1136/heartasia-2019-011221
• Lee, H. H., Pan, S. C., Chen, B. Y., Lo, S. H., & Guo, Y. L. (2019). Atrial fibrillation hospitalization is associated with exposure to fine particulate air pollutants. Environmental health : a global access science source, 18(1), 117. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12940-019-0554-7
• National Research Council (US) Subcommittee on the Tenth Edition of the Recommended Dietary Allowances. Recommended Dietary Allowances: 10th Edition. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 1989. 11, Water and Electrolytes. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK234935/