Since the name is difficult to recall for most people, you will often hear it called AF or A-Fib.
It is the most common heart rhythm seen by physicians and the most common rhythm causing hospital admission.
Coronary artery disease.
Atrial fibrillation may also occur following heart surgery or heart attack or in people with overactive thyroid. Excess caffeine, stimulant drugs (such as cocaine), tobacco use, and excess alcohol may increase the tendency to develop AF, even in people with normal hearts. In some of these situations, AF may stop and not reoccur. Atrial fibrillation is the most common heart rhythm seen by physicians and the most common heart rhythm abnormality causing hospital admission.
Why is it important to know about Atrial Fibrillation?
AF causes your heart to beat irregularly and can cause your pulse to race or be very slow. Sometimes this interferes with the normal circulation of blood through your body, to your head and to the heart muscle. It can cause your heart to work harder.
You may be aware of the AF but not all people feel symptoms when they are in AF. About 1 person in 5 has no symptoms. For some, the symptoms may be mild, while others may have severe, discomforting or frightening symptoms.
The most common symptoms associated with AF include:
Chest discomfort or pressure-like feeling in the chest.
Atrial fibrillation can have serious consequences to your health.
Atrial fibrillation is usually not immediately life threatening. However, it can lead to problems such as stroke and heart failure.
Studies have shown that AF carries a 1.5 to 2 times higher risk of death compared to those who did not have AF.
Stroke can be a devastating result of AF
Atrial fibrillation can cause stroke because blood cannot flow through the upper chambers of the heart (atria) smoothly. With sluggish blood flow, blood clots may form in the atria, especially the left atrium.
These blood clots can break away from the heart and travel through the blood vessels. If a blood clot lodges in a blood vessel in the brain, the result is a stroke.
Approximately 700,000 people in the United States have strokes each year. In a recent survey, 80,000 (11%) of these people are thought to be a direct result of AF.
The risk for stroke is 3 to 5 times higher with AF and increases with age.
Underlying heart disease, history of heart failure, prior history of stroke, and diabetes in people with AF increases the risk of stroke even more. The risk of stroke is low in patients without heart disease, diabetes or who are less than 65 years of age.
Treatment for the patient with AF should always include an evaluation of the patient's risk for stroke. Very often the treatment of choice to prevent stroke is prescription of warfarin (Coumadintm), an antocoagulant or "blood thinner".
Heart failure is another serious consequence
The rapid and irregular heart beating of atrial fibrillation can decrease the heart’s ability to pump blood and cause heart failure. The heart pump function can decrease if AF causes a rapid rhythm for long periods (weeks to months).
In patients who have low heart pump function (heart failure due to heart disease), AF can increase the incidence of heart failure by 29%.
Treating AF can help increase the heart’s ability to pump blood.
AF can occur even when there is no heart disease found. In these cases of “Lone AF”, heart function can still weaken. Because the heart is otherwise healthy, treating AF can help the pump function get better, even becoming normal.
The psychological consequences of AF can be considerable.
AF has a strong emotional impact on people when peace of mind and lifestyles is disturbed by:
