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Arrhythmia and Cardiomyopathy Risk in Taiwan with Complementary Biobank Evidence on Thyroid Genetic Susceptibility:
Yi-Chang Lin1,2, Yao-Ching Huang3,4,5, Ya-Ting Yang6
1Division of Cardiovascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical University , Taipei, Taiwan.
Endocrine Connections
|July 17, 2026
Summary
Arrhythmia increases cardiomyopathy risk. Thyroid genetic susceptibility, modified by lifestyle, also impacts thyroid dysfunction, suggesting integrated risk assessment for better monitoring.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Endocrinology
- Genetics
Background:
- Arrhythmia-induced cardiomyopathy (AiCM) is a reversible cause of ventricular dysfunction, but not all patients develop it.
- Genetic susceptibility and endocrine factors, like thyroid dysfunction, may influence individual risk for AiCM.
- Understanding these factors is crucial for identifying at-risk populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between arrhythmia and cardiomyopathy risk using population data.
- To explore the role of thyroid dysfunction, genetic susceptibility, and lifestyle factors in determining thyroid dysfunction.
- To examine the interplay between cardiovascular and endocrine systems.
Main Methods:
- A dual-cohort study utilized the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) and Taiwan Biobank (TWB).
- Cox proportional hazards models assessed arrhythmia and incident cardiomyopathy risk in NHIRD.
- Multivariable regression and interaction models analyzed genome-wide data, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), polygenic risk scores (PRS), and lifestyle factors in TWB.
Main Results:
- Arrhythmia significantly increased cardiomyopathy risk (aHR 2.49) in the NHIRD cohort, with atrial fibrillation being most prominent.
- Higher thyroid PRS strongly correlated with thyroid dysfunction (aOR 6.64) in the TWB cohort.
- Genetic susceptibility to thyroid dysfunction was modified by metabolic (diabetes, hyperlipidemia) and lifestyle factors.
Conclusions:
- Arrhythmia is linked to higher cardiomyopathy risk, and thyroid genetic susceptibility is associated with thyroid dysfunction.
- Metabolic and lifestyle factors modify the impact of genetic susceptibility on thyroid function.
- Findings support a systems-level view of endocrine-cardiac interactions, highlighting the value of integrated risk assessment.
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