Key Takeaways
Living in a food desert increases health risks for people with atrial fibrillation
A-Fib patients have a more than doubled risk of stroke if they live in a food desert
They also are nearly four times more likely to die early
kAm%w&#$sp*[ $6AE] ``[ a_ad Ww62=E9s2J }6HDX — {:G:?8 :? 2 7@@5 56D6CE 42? 36 A@E6?E:2==J 5625=J E@ A6@A=6 H:E9 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]962=E952J]4@>^2\E@\K\962=E9^42C5:@G2D4F=2C\5:D62D6D^:CC68F=2C\962CE362E\H92E\:D\:E\2?5\9@H\5@\J@F\EC62E\:EQm:CC68F=2C 962CE 362EDk^2m[ 2 ?6H DEF5J D2JD]k^Am
kAm!2E:6?ED H:E9 2EC:2= 7:3C:==2E:@? 92G6 2 5@F3=65 C:D< 7@C k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]962=E952J]4@>^2\E@\K\962=E9^DEC@<6^DEC@<6\H92E\:E\:D\EJA6D\DJ>AE@>D\42FD6D\C:D<\724E@CD\EC62E>6?E\AC6G6?E:@?\aQmDEC@<6k^2m 2?5 ?62C=J BF25CFA=65 C:D< @7 62C=J 562E9 :7 E96J =:G6 :? 2 ?6:893@C9@@5 H:E9@FE 2 ?62C3J 7F==\D6CG:46 8C@46CJ DE@C6[ C6D62C496CD C6A@CE65 :? E96 ;@FC?2= k6>mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH];244]@C8^5@:^`_]`_`e^;];2425G]a_ad]`_a_gbQmyprri p5G2?46Dk^2mk^6>m]k^Am
kAm“%9:D C6D62C49 D9@HD E92E 7@C A2E:6?ED H:E9 pu[ E96 6?G:C@?>6?E E96J =:G6 :?[ E96 32D:4 :?7C2DECF4EFC6 @7 E96:C ?6:893@C9@@5[ 42? 36 ;FDE 2D :>A@CE2?E 2D E96 42C6 E96J C646:G6 :? E96 4=:?:4[” D2:5 D6?:@C C6D62C496C k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^>65:4:?6]EF=2?6]65F^56A2CE>6?ED^>65:4:?6\42C5:@=@8J\4=:?:42=\56>:?8\>65:4:?6^724F=EJ\25>:?:DEC2E:@?^?2DD:C\7\>2CC@F496QmsC] }2DD:C |2CC@F496k^2m[ 5:C64E@C @7 E96 %F=2?6 &?:G6CD:EJ w62CE 2?5 '2D4F=2C x?DE:EFE6 :? }6H ~C=62?D]k^Am
kAm“$@>6E9:?8 2D 7F?52>6?E2= 2D 2446DD E@ 962=E9J 7@@5 4@F=5 =:E6C2==J D2G6 =:G6D[” 96 D2:5 :? 2 ?6HD C6=62D6]k^Am
kAmpEC:2= 7:3C:==2E:@? :D 2? :CC68F=2C C9JE9> :? E96 FAA6C 492>36CD @7 E96 962CE[ <?@H? 2D E96 2EC:2] %9:D BF:G6C:?8 962CE362E 2==@HD 3=@@5 E@ A@@= 2?5 4=@E :? E96 2EC:2[ :?4C62D:?8 3J 7:G67@=5 2 A6CD@?’D C:D< 7@C DEC@<6[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 p>6C:42? w62CE pDD@4:2E:@?]k^Am
kAmw62=E9 AC@3=6>D C6=2E65 E@ 2 A@@C 5:6E — @36D:EJ[ 9:89 3=@@5 AC6DDFC6 2?5 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]962=E952J]4@>^2\E@\K\962=E9^5:236E6D^EJA6\a\5:236E6D\ecc`cf]9E>=QmEJA6 a 5:236E6Dk^2m — 2=D@ :?4C62D6 2 A6CD@?’D C:D< 7@C 2EC:2= 7:3C:==2E:@?[ 2=D@ <?@H? 2D p\u:3 @C pu[ C6D62C496CD D2:5 :? 324<8C@F?5 ?@E6D]k^Am
kAm%@ D66 :7 F?962=E9J 62E:?8 42? 42FD6 7FCE96C 92C> E@ A6@A=6 H9@’G6 56G6=@A65 p\u:3[ C6D62C496CD 2?2=JK65 962=E9 C64@C5D 7@C >@C6 E92? `[d__ A6@A=6 EC62E65 7@C E96 4@?5:E:@? :? E96 }6H ~C=62?D 2C62 36EH66? a_`_ 2?5 a_`h]k^Am
kAm|@C6 E92? `[`__ @7 E96 A2E:6?ED =:G65 :? 2 7@@5 56D6CE[ 2? 2C62 H96C6 E96 ?62C6DE DFA6C>2C<6E :D >@C6 E92? 2 >:=6 2H2J] |@C6 E92? c__ =:G65 :? 2 ?6:893@C9@@5 H:E9 62DJ 2446DD E@ 2 8C@46CJ DE@C6[ C6D62C496CD 7@F?5]k^Am
kAmu@=<D :? 7@@5 56D6CED E6?5 E@ 62E >@C6 72DE 7@@5 2?5 AC@46DD65 7@@5[ 3642FD6 E96:C >@DE 4@?G6?:6?E 5:?:?8 @AE:@?D 2C6 4@?G6?:6?46 DE@C6D[ 3@5682D 2?5 C6DE2FC2?ED[ C6D62C496CD D2:5]k^Am
kAm#6DF=ED D9@H65 E92E p\u:3 A2E:6?ED :? 7@@5 56D6CED H6C6 b]g E:>6D >@C6 =:<6=J E@ 5:6 H:E9:? E96 ?6IE 7:G6 J62CD[ 27E6C 244@F?E:?8 7@C @E96C C:D< 724E@CD]k^Am
kAm%96J 2=D@ H6C6 a]a E:>6D >@C6 =:<6=J E@ DF776C 2 DEC@<6[ C6D62C496CD 7@F?5]k^Am
kAmp 4@>3:?65 >62DFC6 C67=64E:?8 “2?J 325 @FE4@>6” — 9@DA:E2=:K2E:@?[ DEC@<6 @C 562E9 — H2D caT 9:896C 2>@?8 A2E:6?ED :? 2 7@@5 56D6CE]k^Am
kAm%9:D C:D< >:89E 36 5C:G6? 3J >2=?FEC:E:@?[ H9:49 42? 27764E 962CE 962=E9[ C6D62C496CD DA64F=2E65] p A@@C 5:6E >:89E 2=D@ :?4C62D6 2 A6CD@?’D =6G6=D @7 :?7=2>>2E:@? @C 3=@@5 G6DD6= 962=E9]k^Am
kAms@4E@CD D9@F=5 2D< E96:C p\u:3 A2E:6?ED 23@FE E96:C 2446DD E@ 962=E9J 7@@5 2?5 4@??64E E96> E@ ?FEC:E:@? AC@8C2>D[ C6D62C496CD D2:5]k^Am
kAm“t2C=J 56E64E:@? E9C@F89 6IA2?565 D4C66?:?8 677@CED 42? D2G6 =:G6D :? E96D6 GF=?6C23=6 4@>>F?:E:6D H96C6 H6’G6 F?62CE965 E96D6 DEC:<:?8 5:DA2C:E:6D[” |2CC@F496 D2:5]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8m|@C6 :?7@C>2E:@?k^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAm%96 p>6C:42? w62CE pDD@4:2E:@? 92D >@C6 @? k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]962CE]@C8^6?^962=E9\E@A:4D^2EC:2=\7:3C:==2E:@?^H92E\:D\2EC:2=\7:3C:==2E:@?\27:3\@C\27Qm2EC:2= 7:3C:==2E:@?k^2m]k^Am
kAm$~&#rt$i %F=2?6 &?:G6CD:EJ[ ?6HD C6=62D6[ $6AE] b[ a_adj k6>myprr p5G2?46Dk^6>m[ pF8] ah[ a_adk^Am
k9amkDEC@?8m(92E %9:D |62?D u@C *@Fk^DEC@?8mk^9am
kAm!6@A=6 H:E9 2EC:2= 7:3C:==2E:@? D9@F=5 E2=< H:E9 2 5@4E@C 23@FE H2JD E@ 564C62D6 E96:C C:D< @7 DEC@<6 2?5 962CE AC@3=6>D]k^Am