Avoid saturated fat, trans fat, and salt to help control your blood pressure and cholesterol levels. This will also protect your blood vessels. Limit caffeine. Watch how much soda, coffee, tea, energy drinks, and chocolate you have.
Atrial fibrillation (A-fib) is an irregular and often very rapid heart rhythm (arrhythmia) that can lead to blood clots in the heart. A-fib increases the risk of stroke, heart failure and other heart-related complications.
Having AFib puts people at an increased risk for stroke, which can be both deadly and costly. Medicare alone is estimated to pay . 7 billion per year to treat newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation patients. Stroke is the 5th leading cause of death in the U.S. and kills more than 129,000 people each year.
Many people with atrial fibrillation, or AFib, live normal lives and one episode of AFib usually is not fatal. But atrial fibrillation can cause strokes, which can be deadly. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates there are more than 750,000 hospitalizations and 130,000 deaths due to AFib each year.
The mean interval from initial diagnosis of atrial fibrillation to death was 25.2±9.5 years (range, 2.5 to 42.2 years).
Heart failure
If your atrial fibrillation is persistent, it may start to weaken your heart. In extreme cases, it can lead to heart failure, as your heart is unable to pump blood around your body efficiently.
When to Call the Doctor or 911. If an AFib episode lasts 24 to 48 hours with no break or if symptoms worsen, call your physician, Armbruster says. Call 911 or go to the emergency room immediately if you experience any symptoms of a stroke, which are sudden weakness or numbness or difficulty speaking or seeing.
Can Afib go away? If you have paroxysmal Afib, your symptoms may go away on their own without treatment. However, paroxysmal Afib can progress to persistent Afib depending on your risk factors. And both persistent Afib and long-standing persistent Afib require treatment to avoid serious complications.
If you are in AF all the time (persistent AF), you can exercise as much as you want, as long as your heart rate is under control, you are stable on your treatment and are feeling well. If you're not feeling well because of your AF, ask your GP or specialist for exercise advice.
The basics include not smoking, following a heart-healthy Mediterranean-style diet (high in plant-based foods, fruits and vegetables, and low in saturated fats), being physically active and keeping to a normal weight (as indicated on a body-mass index chart).
The most common symptom of atrial fibrillation is fatigue, or extreme tiredness. Other symptoms include: Low blood pressure. Difficulty breathing, especially when lying down or when exercising.
A beta blocker, such as bisoprolol or atenolol, or a calcium channel blocker, such as verapamil or diltiazem, will be prescribed. The medicine you'll be offered will depend on what symptoms you're having and your general health. A medicine called digoxin may be offered if other drugs are not suitable.
About atrial fibrillation
A normal heart rate, when you are resting, should be between 60 and 100 beats a minute. In atrial fibrillation, it may be over 140 beats a minute.
The '48-hour rule' was adopted into widespread clinical practice based on theoretical, rather than evidence-based, grounds. This practice was scrutinised by Weigner et al in 1997. It was known that cardioversion of patients with AF of >48 hours duration had a 5–7% risk of stroke without preceding anticoagulation.
Feeling angry or stressed about work may make AFib. Having anxiety increases the risk of AFib.
The root cause of atrial fibrillation is damage to heart tissue or the heart's electrical system. Most of the time, heart damage that results in AFib is caused by coronary heart disease or high blood pressure. Sometimes the cause of AFib remains unknown.
Atrial fibrillation is the most common type of cardiac arrhythmia. It is the leading cardiac cause of stroke. Risk factors for atrial fibrillation include advanced age, high blood pressure, underlying heart and lung disease, congenital heart disease, and increased alcohol consumption.
While patients who have elevated stroke risks may be able to manage symptoms of AFib — such as a racing heartbeat — with other medications or medical procedures, they will still need to take blood thinners to protect against stroke.
Yes. Your risk of developing atrial fibrillation, a common heart rhythm disorder, increases as you become older. Atrial fibrillation is much more common in older adults. Atrial fibrillation can occur at any age, but when it develops in younger people, it's usually associated with other heart conditions.
If you notice that your AFib episodes happen more often, last longer, or your medication doesn't help as much, your condition is probably getting worse. As AFib progresses, you might notice some signs. You might feel more weak, tired, lightheaded, and anxious about the condition.