Kim YG, Han KD, Choi JI, et al. - Among 9,797,418 participants who underwent a national health checkup, researchers focused on the impact of various stages of hypertension and body weight status on new-onset atrial fibrillation (AF). They divided hypertension into 5 stages: nonhypertension, prehypertension, hypertension without medication, hypertension with medication < 5 years, and hypertension with medication ≥ 5 years. Stratification according to body mass index and waist circumference was also done. A follow-up of 80,130,161 person×years revealed the occurrence of 196,136 new-onset AF cases. Among the 5 stages of hypertension, a gradual rise in the incidence of new-onset AF was observed: the adjusted hazard ratio for each group was 1 (reference), 1.145, 1.390, 1.853, and 2.344 for each stage of hypertension. Findings revealed crucial factors for new-onset AF, which included the degree and duration of hypertension, as well as the presence of hypertension. A significant link of body weight status with new-onset AF was identified. Also, a synergistic action of body weight status with hypertension was revealed: the highest risk of AF was seen in obese individuals with hypertension on medication ≥ 5 years.