Researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center have uncovered a striking link between the heart’s shape and the likelihood of developing certain cardiovascular diseases. The insights come from a study that adds a new layer to how doctors understand heart health, and the findings were reported in Med magazine.
The study shows that individuals with rounded, more spherical hearts may face higher risks of future heart failure and atrial fibrillation compared with people whose hearts exhibit a longer, more elongated shape. To reach these conclusions, investigators analyzed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans from a large pool of 38,897 healthy volunteers drawn from the BioBank database. In addition to imaging, computational models were employed to map the genetic markers linked to the diseases in question, offering a nuanced view of how anatomy and genetics intersect to influence risk.
According to the researchers, a spherical heart correlated with a 31% increased chance of developing atrial fibrillation and a 24% higher risk of cardiomyopathy. By studying the genetics of heart shape, they identified four genes associated with cardiomyopathy: PLN, ANGPT1, PDZRN3, and HLA DR/DQ. Three of these same genes were also tied to a heightened likelihood of atrial fibrillation, suggesting overlapping genetic pathways that relate to heart geometry and disease susceptibility.
Beyond the immediate risks, the team notes that heart shape is not fixed. The organ can evolve over time, and shifts toward a rounder silhouette are commonly observed, particularly after a major cardiac event such as a heart attack. This dynamic aspect underscores the importance of ongoing cardiovascular monitoring across a person’s lifespan. Early recognition of shape changes may provide a clearer signal for clinicians to evaluate evolving risk and consider preventive strategies before symptoms become pronounced.
Conversations around heart geometry are helping to reshape how clinicians think about screening and prevention. While traditional risk factors like blood pressure, cholesterol, and smoking status remain essential, shape-based indicators add another dimension to person-specific risk profiles. In practice, this means that imaging data and genetic information could one day augment standard risk calculators, enabling more personalized recommendations for lifestyle modification, surveillance intervals, and, where appropriate, therapeutic interventions. The integration of anatomical and genetic insights holds promise for more precise risk stratification and early intervention, potentially reducing the burden of heart failure and rhythm disorders across diverse populations in North America.
As researchers continue to validate these associations, they emphasize that heart geometry is one piece of a complex puzzle. It should be interpreted alongside comprehensive clinical assessments, family history, and other biomarkers. The findings also highlight the value of large, well-curated biobanks and advanced computational methods that can link morphology to molecular signals. Ongoing studies aim to refine the understanding of how specific genetic variants influence heart shape during development and aging, and how environmental factors might interact with these genetic predispositions to shape outcomes over time.
Ultimately, the work from Cedars-Sinai adds to a growing field that seeks to translate anatomical patterns into actionable health insights. For clinicians, it offers a potential pathway to identify individuals at higher risk earlier and to tailor monitoring and prevention accordingly. For patients, it reinforces the idea that heart health is not only about what is seen in blood tests, but also about the form and structure of the heart itself — a shape that can carry meaningful clues about future health trajectories and opportunities for proactive care. The research team advocates ongoing surveillance of heart morphology in routine practice and invites further investigation into how these structural cues interact with genetic and environmental factors to influence cardiovascular disease risk in North American populations, including those across Canada and the United States. (Cited study, Med magazine, Cedars-Sinai Health System, 2024.)