Mega Doctor News
By American Heart Association
Atrial fibrillation is the most common type of irregular heartbeat. In the U.S., more than 10 million people live with it.
It’s also serious. Untreated AFib can raise a person’s risk of stroke by up to five times.
But as alarming as an AFib diagnosis can be, it can give a person a chance to take control of contributing factors they can change, said Dr. Lee L. Eckhardt, a professor of medicine at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. People who learn they have AFib can change their habits in ways that may lower their risks over time.
“It’s not like it’s doomsday,” said Eckhardt, who helped write the AFib treatment guidelinefrom the American Heart Association, American College of Cardiology and other groups, which emphasized the value of a healthy lifestyle.
What is atrial fibrillation, or AFib?
“I usually describe it as a very fast and chaotic rhythm in the top chambers of their heart,” Eckhardt said. It’s not immediately fatal, but it can cause blood to pool in the heart, which can lead to blood clots and stroke. AFib can also lead to heart failure, in which the heart does not pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs.
AFib doesn’t always have symptoms. But some people experience a racing heartbeat, palpitations, shortness of breath, lightheadedness or dizziness. (Chest pain is a medical emergency; call 911.)
AFib can be treated with medications, including blood thinners that lower the risk of stroke, or with a procedure called catheter ablation, which targets and destroys small areas of heart tissue that cause the heart to misfire.
Causes of AFib vary and aren’t always known. “Some people are genetically more likely to have atrial fibrillation than others,” Eckhardt said. “And you can’t change that.” The chance of developing it also increases with age.
But for more than a decade, Eckhardt said, research has shown the value of a healthy lifestyle in helping prevent or manage AFib.
“And that’s incredibly empowering,” she said.
