What is Atrial
Fibrillation?
Who is at Risk for Atrial Fibrillation?
Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation.
Risk Factors for Stroke.
Are there any new treatments available for AF?
Who is at Risk for Atrial Fibrillation?
Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation.
Risk Factors for Stroke.
Are there any new treatments available for AF?
Atrial Fibrillation
What is Atrial Fibrillation?
Atrial fibrillation is a condition which
causes the heart to beat irregularly and sometimes rapidly. It happens
when the heart's electrical system is unable to maintain control of the
heart's rhythm. Normally, the heart's rhythm is controlled by a group
of cells called the sinoatrial node (SA node). These cells are found in
the top chambers of the heart (the atria) and they function as our own
natural pacemaker. With atrial fibrillation, the SA node no longer is
in control and the top chambers of the heart beat erratically and
rapidly. Fortunately our hearts have another group of cells, called the
atrioventricular node (or the AV node) which keeps all of these erratic
impulses from making it to the main lower chambers of the heart (the
ventricles).
Atrial fibrillation is seen in all age
groups. It becomes more common as we get older, however. Atrial
fibrillation is more common in people who already have heart disease
(such as an old heart attack, hypertension or leaky valves) but it can
also be seen in people without any signs of heart disease at all.
Atrial fibrillation is the most common heart rhythm disturbance that we
see, affecting more than 2 million people in the U.S. In fact, about
160,000 new cases are diagnosed each year!
Atrial fibrillation may cause serious problems.
Atrial fibrillation may cause a variety of symptoms. However, there are some people who don't even know that they have it! The most common symptom of atrial fibrillation is palpitations, or feeling like your heart is pounding or skipping. Some people feel fatigued and tired, and some get out of breath or even have chest discomfort.Even if the symptoms are minimal, atrial fibrillation may still cause serious problems, including a stroke. During atrial fibrillation, the top chambers no longer beat effectively. This reduces the flow of blood through these chambers. This in turn can allow the blood to form clots inside the heart. These clots may travel out of the heart and lodge in a small artery in the brain, causing a stroke. The risk of stroke in atrial fibrillation increases as we get older. It also increases in people with damaged hearts (from a previous heart attack, for example), high blood pressure (hypertension) and diabetes. The risk is also higher in people who have already had a prior stroke.
In addition to stroke, atrial fibrillation may cause the heart to weaken over time, especially when it is associated with a rapid heart rate for a prolonged period of time. This in turn may cause congestive heart failure or shortness of breath due to a weak heart.
It is important to know that these complications of atrial fibrillation can be prevented!
Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation.
Because atrial fibrillation causes so many different problems in many different people, treatment strategies vary for each person. The major focus is to prevent a stroke in patients at risk for this dreaded complication. The only proven way to prevent a stroke due to atrial fibrillation is to use a blood thinner called Coumadin (also called warfarin). If you have atrial fibrillation and you have one of the following risk factors for a stroke, then you should discuss using Coumadin with your doctor.| 1.
Age over 65 years |
| 2.
High blood pressure |
| 3.
Diabetes |
| 4.
Heart disease such as a prior heart attack or congestive heart failure |
| 5.
Previous stroke or TIA ("mini-stroke") |
Therapy for atrial fibrillation is designed to keep the heart from racing and, sometimes, to keep the heart from beating irregularly. Treatments may include medications to slow down your heart rate, or special medicines called antiarrhythmic agents designed to work on the heart's electrical system in order to prevent the irregular rhythm. There are other procedures, including pacemaker implantation and even a type of open heart surgery (called a Maze procedure) which also help to regulate the heart's rhythm.
Are there any new treatments available for atrial fibrillation?
Because atrial fibrillation is so common, there are new treatments coming out all the time. New medications are being developed which may be more effective with less side effects. Special pacemakers are being tested right now. We are currently doing research on a special type of pacemaker designed to prevent recurrences of atrial fibrillation.
We are also excited to offer a new procedure called pulmonary vein isolation. During this procedure, we try to isolate the abnormal signals which initiate the atrial fibrillation. In order to do this, we use an advanced mapping system which allows us to reproduce a computerized picture of your heart. This allows us to "see" our catheters on the computer model as we move them around and destroy the abnormal tissues causing the arrhythmia. This procedure may sometimes cure atrial fibrillation. These photos show an actual image from our mapping system, showing the back of the left atrium where the abnormal signals were originating. The lower panel shows where we ablated the tissue. This patient reverted back to normal rhythm during the ablation and has remained in normal rhythm since the procedure.
If you have any questions about atrial fibrillation, or any other heart rhythm disturbances, call us at (860) 714-7977 or email us at admin@ctheartbeat.com