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Approved research

Identification of causal risk factors for atrial fibrillation

Principal Investigator: Professor Kazem Rahimi
Approved Research ID: 42499
Approval date: February 13th 2019

Lay summary

The exact cause of atrial fibrillation is unknown, but it's more common with age and affects certain groups of people more than others. Several studies have investigated the impact of well-known cardiovascular risk factors on the risk of atrial fibrillation, but the results remain controversial. UK biobank study provides a unique opportunity for assessing the causal role of such risk factors. In this application, we propose to make use of the genetic as well as other types of information from the UK Biobank to investigate the causes of atrial fibrillation. These analyses will be an important step in developing interventions to guide further research, practice and policy. We estimate that the project will be completed within 12 months after all data have been obtained.