Atrial fibrillation (A-tre-al fi-bri-LA-shun), or
AF, is the most common
arrhythmia
(ah-RITH-me-ah). An arrhythmia is a problem with the speed or rhythm of the
heartbeat. A disorder in the hearts electrical system causes AF and other
types of arrhythmia.
AF occurs when rapid, disorganized electrical
signals in the hearts two upper chambers, called the atria (AY-tree-uh),
cause them to contract very fast and irregularly (this is called fibrillation).
As a result, blood pools in the atria and isnt pumped completely into the
hearts two lower chambers, called the ventricles (VEN-trih-kuls). When
this happens, the hearts upper and lower chambers dont work
together as they should.
Often, people who have AF may not even feel
symptoms. However, even when not noticed, AF can lead to an increased risk of
stroke. In many patients, particularly when the rhythm is extremely rapid, AF
can cause chest pain,
heart
attack, or
heart
failure. AF may occur rarely or every now and then, or it may become a
persistent or permanent heart rhythm lasting for years.
Understanding the Heart's Electrical System
The heart has an internal electrical system that
controls the speed and rhythm of the heartbeat. With each heartbeat, an
electrical signal spreads from the top of the heart to the bottom. As it
travels, the signal causes the heart to contract and pump blood. The process
repeats with each new heartbeat.
Each electrical signal begins in a group of cells
called the sinus node, or sinoatrial (SA) node. The SA node is located in the
right atrium, which is the upper right chamber of the heart. In a healthy adult
heart at rest, the SA node fires off an electrical signal to begin a new
heartbeat 60 to 100 times a minute. (This rate may be slower in very fit
athletes.)
From the SA node, the electrical signal travels
through special pathways to the right and left atria. This causes the atria to
contract and pump blood into the hearts two lower chambers, the
ventricles. The electrical signal then moves down to a group of cells called
the atrioventricular (AV) node, located between the atria and the ventricles.
Here, the signal slows down just a little, allowing the ventricles time to
finish filling with blood.
The electrical signal then leaves the AV node and
travels along a pathway called the bundle of His. This pathway divides into a
right bundle branch and a left bundle branch. The signal goes down these
branches to the ventricles, causing them to contract and pump blood out to the
lungs and the rest of the body. The ventricles then relax, and the heartbeat
process starts all over again in the SA node.
For more information, see the Diseases and
Conditions Index article on
How
the Heart Works, which contains an animation that shows how the heart's
electrical system causes the heart to pump blood.
Understanding the Electrical Problem in Atrial
Fibrillation
In AF, the hearts electrical signal begins in
a different part of the atria or the nearby pulmonary veins and is conducted
abnormally. The signal doesnt travel through normal pathways, but may
spread throughout the atria in a rapid, disorganized way. This can cause the
atria to beat more than 300 times a minute in a chaotic fashion. The
atrias rapid, irregular, and uncoordinated beating is called
fibrillation.
The abnormal signal from the SA node floods the AV
node with electrical impulses. As a result, the ventricles also begin to beat
very fast. However, the AV node cant conduct the signals to the
ventricles as fast as they arrive, so even though the ventricles may be beating
faster than normal, they arent beating as fast as the atria. The atria
and ventricles no longer beat in a coordinated fashion, creating a fast and
irregular heart rhythm. In AF, the ventricles may beat up to 100175 times
a minute, in contrast to the normal rate of 60100 beats a minute.
When this happens, blood isnt pumped into the
ventricles as well as it should be, and the amount of blood pumped out of the
ventricles is based on the randomness of the atrial beats. In AF, instead of
the body receiving a constant, regular amount of blood from the ventricles, it
receives rapid, small amounts and occasional random, larger amounts, depending
on how much blood has flowed from the atria to the ventricles with each
beat.
Most of the symptoms of AF are related to how fast
the heart is beating. If medicines or age slow the heart rate, the effect of
the irregular beats is minimized.
AF may be brief, with symptoms that come and go and
end on their own, or it may be persistent and require treatment. Or, AF can be
permanent, in which case medicines or other interventions cant restore a
normal rhythm.
The animation below shows atrial fibrillation. Click
the "start" button to play the animation. Written and spoken explanations are
provided with each frame. Use the buttons in the lower right corner to pause,
restart, or replay the animation, or use the scroll bar below the buttons to
move through the frames.
The animation shows how the
hearts electrical signal begins in a different place in the heart,
causing the atria to beat very fast and irregularly.
Outlook
People who have AF can live normal, active lives.
For some people, treatment can cure AF and return their heartbeat to a normal
rhythm. For people who have permanent AF, treatment can successfully control
symptoms and prevent complications. Treatment consists primarily of different
kinds of medicines or nonsurgical procedures.
How the Heart Works
The heart is a muscle about the size of your fist.
The heart works like a pump and beats about 100,000 times a day.
The heart has two sides, separated by an inner wall
called the septum. The right side of the heart pumps blood to the lungs to pick
up oxygen. Then, oxygen-rich blood returns from the lungs to the left side of
the heart, and the left side pumps it to the body.
The heart has four chambers and four valves and is
connected to various blood vessels. Veins are the blood vessels that carry
blood from the body to the heart. Arteries are the blood vessels that carry
blood away from the heart to the body.
A Healthy Heart Cross-Section
The illustration shows
a cross-section of a healthy heart and its inside structures. The blue arrow
shows the direction in which oxygen-poor blood flows from the body to the
lungs. The red arrow shows the direction in which oxygen-rich blood flows from
the lungs to the rest of the body.
Heart Chambers
The heart has four chambers or "rooms."
The atria are the two upper chambers that collect
blood as it comes into the heart.
The ventricles are the two lower chambers that
pump blood out of the heart to the lungs or other parts of the body.
Heart Valves
Four valves control the flow of blood from the atria
to the ventricles and from the ventricles into the two large arteries connected
to the heart.
The tricuspid (tri-CUSS-pid) valve is in the
right side of the heart, between the right atrium and the right ventricle.
The pulmonary (PULL-mun-ary) valve is in the
right side of the heart, between the right ventricle and the entrance to the
pulmonary artery, which carries blood to the lungs.
The mitral (MI-trul) valve is in the left side of
the heart, between the left atrium and the left ventricle.
The aortic (ay-OR-tik) valve is in the left side
of the heart, between the left ventricle and the entrance to the aorta, the
artery that carries blood to the body.
Valves are like doors that open and close. They open
to allow blood to flow through to the next chamber or to one of the arteries,
and then they shut to keep blood from flowing backward.
When the heart's valves open and close, they make a
"lub-DUB" sound that a doctor can hear using a stethoscope.
The first soundthe lubis
made by the mitral and tricuspid valves closing at the beginning of systole
(SIS-toe-lee). Systole is when the ventricles contract, or squeeze, and pump
blood out of the heart.
The second soundthe DUBis
made by the aortic and pulmonary valves closing at beginning of diastole
(di-AS-toe-lee). Diastole is when the ventricles relax and fill with blood
pumped into them by the atria.
Arteries
The arteries are major blood vessels connected to
your heart.
The pulmonary artery carries blood pumped from
the right side of the heart to the lungs to pick up a fresh supply of
oxygen.
The aorta is the main artery that carries
oxygen-rich blood pumped from the left side of the heart out to the body.
The coronary arteries are the other important
arteries attached to the heart. They carry oxygen-rich blood from the aorta to
the heart muscle, which must have its own blood supply to function.
Veins
The veins are also major blood vessels connected to
your heart.
The pulmonary veins carry oxygen-rich blood from
the lungs to the left side of the heart so it can be pumped out to the body.
The part of the pulmonary veins that connects to the left atrium has recently
been found to often be the source of the abnormal electrical signals that can
begin AF.
The vena cava is a large vein that carries
oxygen-poor blood from the body back to the heart.
For more information on how a healthy heart works,
see the Diseases and Conditions Index article on
How
the Heart Works. This article contains animations that show how your heart
pumps blood and how your hearts electrical system works.
Types of Atrial Fibrillation
Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation
In paroxysmal (par-ok-SIZ-mal) atrial fibrillation
(AF), the abnormal electrical signals and rapid heart rate begin suddenly and
then stop on their own. Symptoms can be mild or severe and last for seconds,
minutes, hours, or days.
Persistent Atrial Fibrillation
Persistent AF is a condition in which the abnormal
heart rhythm continues until its stopped with treatment.
Permanent Atrial Fibrillation
Permanent AF is a condition in which the normal
heart rhythm cant be restored with the usual treatments. Both paroxysmal
and persistent atrial fibrillation may become more frequent and eventually
result in permanent AF.
Other Names for Atrial Fibrillation
A fib
Auricular fibrillation
What Causes Atrial Fibrillation?
Atrial fibrillation (AF) occurs when the electrical
signals traveling through the heart are conducted abnormally and become
disorganized and very rapid.
This is the result of damage to the heart’s
electrical system. This damage is most often the result of other conditions,
such as
coronary
artery disease or
high
blood pressure, that affect the health of the heart. Sometimes, the cause
of AF is unknown.
Who Is At Risk for Atrial Fibrillation?
Populations Affected
More than 2 million people in the United States have
atrial fibrillation (AF), and it affects both men and women. AF generally
occurs in older people, mostly because theyre more likely to have heart
disease or conditions that increase the risk of AF. AF is uncommon among young
people.
Major Risk Factors
AF is more common in people with heart diseases or
conditions, including:
Sick sinus syndrome (a condition in which the
heart's electrical signals don't fire properly and the heart rate slows down;
sometimes the heart will switch back and forth between a too-slow rate and a
too-fast rate)
AF also is more common in people who are having a
heart
attack or who have just had surgery.
Other conditions that increase AF risk include
hyperthyroidism,
obesity,
high
blood pressure (hypertension), diabetes, and lung diseases.
Recent evidence suggests that patients who receive
high-dose steroid therapy are at increased risk of AF. This therapy, which is
commonly used for
asthma
and certain inflammatory conditions, may act as a trigger in people who already
have other risk factors for AF.
What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Atrial
Fibrillation?
Signs and Symptoms
Atrial fibrillation (AF) usually causes the
ventricles to contract faster than normal. When this happens, the ventricles
dont have enough time to fill completely with blood to pump to the lungs
and body. This inefficient pumping can cause signs and symptoms, such as:
Palpitations (a strong feeling of a fast
heartbeat or a thumping in the chest)
Shortness of breath
Weakness or difficulty exercising
Chest pain
Dizziness or fainting
Fatigue (tiredness)
Confusion
Complications
AF has two major complications—stroke and
heart
failure.
Heart
attack is another, rarer complication.
Stroke
During AF, the atria dont pump all of their
blood to the ventricles. Some blood pools in the atria. When this happens, a
blood clot (also called a thrombus) can form. If the clot breaks off and
travels to the brain, it can cause a stroke. (A clot that forms in one part of
the body and travels in the bloodstream to another part of the body is called
an embolus.)
Blood-thinning medicines to reduce the risk of
stroke are a very important part of treatment for patients who have AF.
Atrial Fibrillation and Stroke
The illustration shows how a stroke
can occur during atrial fibrillation. If a clot (thrombus) forms in the left
atrium of the heart, a piece of it can dislodge and travel to an artery in the
brain, blocking blood flow through the artery. The lack of blood flow to the
portion of the brain fed by the artery causes a stroke.
Heart Failure
Heart failure occurs when the heart cant pump
enough blood to meet the bodys needs. Because the ventricles are beating
very fast and arent able to properly fill with blood to pump out to the
body, AF can lead to heart failure.
Fatigue and shortness of breath are common symptoms
of heart failure. A buildup of fluid in the lungs causes these symptoms. Fluid
also can build up in the feet, ankles, and legs, causing weight gain.
Lifestyle changes, medicines, and sometimes special
care (rarely, a mechanical heart pump or heart transplant) are the main
treatments for heart failure.
How Is Atrial Fibrillation Diagnosed?
Sometimes people have atrial fibrillation (AF), but
don't have symptoms. For these people, AF is often found during a physical exam
or EKG
(electrocardiogram) test done for another purpose. Other times, AF is diagnosed
after a person goes to the doctor because of symptoms.
To understand why a person has AF and the best way
to treat it, the doctor will want to discover any immediate or underlying
causes. Doctors use several methods to diagnose AF, including family and
medical history, a physical exam, and several diagnostic tests and
procedures.
Specialists Involved
A primary care doctor often is involved in the
initial diagnosis and treatment of AF. These doctors can include:
Family practitioners
Internists
Doctors who specialize in the diagnosis and
treatment of heart disease also may be involved, such as:
Cardiologists (doctors who take care of adults
with heart problems)
Electrophysiologists (e-LEK-tro-fiz-e-OL-o-jists;
cardiologists who specialize in
arrhythmias)
Family and Medical History
The doctor will ask questions about:
Symptoms. What symptoms are you having? Have you
had palpitations (a feeling of a strong or fast heartbeat)? Are you dizzy or
short of breath? Are your feet or ankles swollen (a possible sign of
heart
failure)? Do you have any chest pain?
Family medical history. Does anyone in your
family have a history of AF? Has anyone in your family ever had heart disease
or high blood pressure? Has anyone had thyroid problems? Are there other
illnesses or health problems in your family?
Health habits. These include smoking and alcohol
or caffeine use.
Physical Exam
The doctor will do a complete cardiac exam,
listening to the rate and rhythm of your heartbeat and taking your pulse and
blood pressure reading. The doctor will likely check to see whether you have
any sign of problems with your heart muscle or valves. He or she will listen to
your lungs to check for signs of heart failure.
The doctor also will check for swelling in the legs
or feet and look for an enlarged thyroid gland or other signs of
hyperthyroidism.
Diagnostic Tests and Procedures
EKG
An EKG is a simple test that detects and records the
electrical activity of your heart. It is the most useful test for diagnosing
AF. It shows how fast the heart is beating and its rhythm (steady or
irregular). It also records the timing of the electrical signals as they pass
through each part of the heart.
A standard EKG test only records the heartbeat for a
few seconds. It wont detect an AF episode that doesnt happen during
the test. To diagnose paroxysmal AF, the doctor may ask you to wear a portable
EKG monitor that can record your heartbeat for longer periods. The two most
common types of portable EKGs are Holter and event monitors.
Holter Monitor
Also called an ambulatory EKG, this device records
the electrical signals of the heart for a full 24- or 48-hour period. You wear
small patches called electrodes on your chest that are connected by wires to a
small, portable recorder. The recorder can be clipped to a belt, kept in a
pocket, or hung around your neck.
During the time youre wearing a Holter
monitor, you do your usual daily activities and keep a notebook, noting any
symptoms you have and the time they occurred. You then return both the recorder
and the notebook to the doctor to read the results. The doctor can see how your
heart was beating at the time you had symptoms.
Event Monitor
Event monitors are useful to diagnose AF that occurs
only once in a while. The device is worn continuously, but only records the
hearts electrical activity when you push a button. You push the button on
the device when you feel symptoms. Event monitors can be worn for 1 to 2
months, or as long as it takes to get a recording of the heart when symptoms
are occurring.
Other Tests Used to Diagnose Atrial Fibrillation
Echocardiogram
This test uses sound waves to create a moving
picture of your heart. An
echocardiogram
provides information about the size and shape of your heart and how well your
heart chambers and valves are functioning. The test also can identify areas of
poor blood flow to the heart, areas of heart muscle that arent
contracting normally, and previous injury to the heart muscle caused by poor
blood flow.
This test is sometimes called a transthoracic
echocardiogram. Its noninvasive and is done by placing an echo
probe on your chest wall. The procedure is the same technique used
for obtaining sonograms in pregnant women.
Transesophageal Echocardiogram
A transesophageal (trans-e-SOF-ah-ge-al)
echocardiogram, or TEE, takes pictures of the heart through your esophagus (the
tube leading from your mouth to your stomach). The atria are deep in the chest
and often cant be seen very well on a regular echocardiogram. A doctor
can see the atria much better with a TEE. In this test, the transducer is
attached to the end of a flexible tube thats guided down your throat and
into your esophagus. TEE is usually done while the patient under some sedation.
TEE is used to detect clots that may be developing in the atria because of
AF.
Blood Tests
These tests check the level of thyroid hormone and
the balance of your bodys electrolytes. Electrolytes are minerals in your
blood and body fluids that are essential for normal health and functioning of
your bodys cells and organs.
How Is Atrial Fibrillation Treated?
Treatment for atrial fibrillation (AF) depends on
how severe or frequent the symptoms are and whether you already have heart
disease. General treatment options include medicines, medical procedures, and
lifestyle changes.
Goals of Treatment
Treatment of AF is designed to:
Prevent blood clots from forming, and thereby
reduce the risk for stroke.
Control how many times a minute the ventricles
contract. This is called rate control. Rate control is important because it
allows the ventricles enough time to completely fill with blood. With this
approach, the irregular heart rhythm continues, but the person feels better and
has fewer symptoms.
Restore the heart to a normal rhythm. This is
called rhythm control. Rhythm control allows the atria and ventricles to work
together again to efficiently pump blood to the body.
Treat any underlying disorder thats causing
or raising the risk of AFfor example, hyperthyroidism.
Who Needs Treatment for Atrial Fibrillation?
People with no symptoms and no related heart
problems may not need treatment. AF may even go back to a permanent normal
heart rhythm on its own. In some people who have AF for the first time, doctors
may choose to use an electrical procedure or medicine to restore the heart
rhythm to normal.
Repeated episodes of AF tend to cause changes to the
electrical system of the heart, leading to persistent or permanent AF. Most
people with persistent or permanent AF need treatment to control their heart
rate and prevent complications.
Specific Types of Treatment
Blood Clot Prevention
The risk of a blood clot traveling from the heart to
the brain and causing a stroke is increased in people who have AF. Preventing
the formation of blood clots is probably the most important part of treating
AF. Doctors prescribe blood-thinning medicines to prevent blood clots. These
medicines include warfarin (Coumadin®), heparin, and aspirin.
Warfarin is the most effective medicine in people
with risk factors for stroke. People taking warfarin must have regular blood
tests to check how well the medicine is working.
Rate Control
Doctors also prescribe medicines to slow down the
rate at which the ventricles are beating. These medicines help bring the heart
rate to a normal level.
Rate control is the recommended strategy for most
patients with AF, even though the heart rhythm continues to be abnormal and the
heart doesnt work as efficiently as it could. Most people feel better and
can function well if their heart rate is well controlled.
Medicines used to control the heart rate include
beta blockers (for example, metoprolol and atenolol), calcium channel blockers
(diltiazem and verapamil), and digitalis (digoxin). Several other medicines
also are available.
Rhythm Control
Doctors use medicines or procedures to restore and
maintain the hearts rhythm. This treatment approach is recommended for
people who arent functioning well with rate control treatment or who have
only recently started having AF.
The longer you have AF, the less likely it is that
an abnormal heart rhythm can be restored to a normal heart rhythm. This is
especially true for people who have had AF for 6 months or more.
Restoring a normal rhythm also becomes less likely
if the atria become enlarged or if any underlying heart disease becomes more
severe. In these situations, the chance that AF will recur is high, even if
youre taking a medicine to help convert AF to a normal rhythm.
Medicines. Medicines used to
control a persons heart rhythm include amiodarone, sotalol, flecainide,
propafenone, dofetilide, ibutilide, and occasionally older medicines such as
quinidine, procainamide, and disopyramide.
Medicines must be carefully tailored to the person
taking them because they can cause a different kind of irregular, slow, or
rapid heartbeat (arrhythmia)
or can be harmful in people who have underlying diseases of the heart or other
organs. This is particularly true for those patients who have an unusual heart
rhythm problem called
Wolff-Parkinson-White
syndrome.
To convert AF to a normal heart rhythm, people can
be given AF medicines regularly by injection at a doctors office, clinic,
or hospital. Or, to try to control AF or prevent recurrences, people may take
pills on an ongoing basis. If the doctor knows how a person will react to a
medicine, a specific dose may be prescribed according to the pill in the
pocket technique. This means that a patient takes a specific dose of a
medicine as needed only if he or she has an episode of AF, but not on a
regular, daily basis.
Procedures. Doctors use several
procedures to restore a normal heart rhythm, including:
Electrical cardioversion, which is a jolt of
electricity delivered to the heart to "convert" the rhythm from AF back to a
normal heart rhythm. This shock can break the pattern of abnormal electrical
signals and restore a normal rhythm. Electrical cardioversion isnt the
same as the emergency heart shocking procedure often seen on TV programs.
Its planned in advance and done under carefully controlled conditions
with the person heavily sedated.
Before doing electrical
cardioversion, the doctor may recommend a transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE)
to rule out the presence of blood clots in the atria. If clots are present, the
patient may need to receive blood-thinning medicines to help eliminate the
clots before the electrical cardioversion.
Radiofrequency ablation, which is used to restore
a normal heart rhythm when medicines or electrical cardioversion dont
work. In this procedure, a wire is inserted through a vein in the leg or arm
and threaded to the heart. Radiowave energy is sent through the wire to destroy
abnormal tissue thats believed to be disrupting the normal flow of
electrical signals. This procedure is usually done in the hospital and is
performed by an electrophysiologist.
Maze procedure, in which a surgeon makes small
cuts or burns in the atria to reduce the chances of chaotic electrical activity
happening in the atria. This procedure requires open-heart surgery, so
its usually performed when a person requires heart surgery for other
reasons, such as for valve disease, which can increase the risk of AF.
Approaches To Treating Underlying Causes and
Reducing Risk Factors
The doctor also may suggest other approaches
designed to treat the underlying condition that may be causing AF or to reduce
risk factors for AF. These approaches include prescribing medicines to treat an
overactive thyroid, reduce blood pressure and
overweight,
or treat other underlying causes of AF.
The doctor also may recommended lifestyle changes,
such as reducing stress, quitting smoking, reducing salt intake (to help lower
blood pressure), and eating healthily. Limiting or avoiding stress as well as
alcohol, caffeine, or other stimulants that may increase your heart rate also
may help to reduce the risk of AF.
How Can Atrial Fibrillation Be Prevented?
You may be able to prevent atrial fibrillation (AF)
by leading a healthy lifestyle and taking steps to lower your risk for heart
disease. These steps include:
Not smoking
Following a heart healthy diet that is low in
saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol and that includes a variety
of grains, fruits, and vegetables daily
Getting regular physical activity
Maintaining a healthy weight
If you have heart disease or risk factors, you
should work with your doctor to control your condition and lower your risk of
complications, such as AF. In addition to following the healthy lifestyle steps
above, which also can help control heart disease, your doctor may advise you to
to take one or more of the following steps:
Keep your cholesterol (total cholesterol,
high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL)) and
triglycerides at healthy levels with dietary changes and/or medicines.
Limit or avoid alcohol.
Control blood glucose (blood sugar) levels if
you have diabetes.
Get regular checkups.
Take medicines as directed.
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's
"Your Guide to
Lowering High Blood Pressure" Web pages have a prevention section that
provides information and links on heart healthy eating.
Living With Atrial Fibrillation
People who have atrial fibrillation (AF)even
permanent AFcan live normal, active lives.
If you have AF, you should:
Keep all your medical appointments.
Bring all the medicines youre taking to
every doctor and emergency room visit. This will help your doctor know exactly
what medicines youre taking.
Follow your doctors instructions for taking
medicines. Be careful about taking over-the-counter medicines, nutritional
supplements, or cold and allergy medicines, because some contain stimulants
that can trigger rapid heart rhythms. Some over-the-counter medicines can have
harmful interactions with heart rhythm medicines.
Tell your doctor if youre having side
effects from your medicines, if your symptoms are getting worse, or if you have
new symptoms.
If youre taking blood-thinning medicines,
you will need to be monitored carefully, including getting regular blood tests
to check how the medicines are working. Talk with your doctor about your
monitoring program.
Talk with your doctor about diet, physical
activity, weight control, and alcohol use.
Key Points
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is one type of
arrhythmia.
An arrhythmia is a problem with the speed or rhythm of the heartbeat.
A disorder in the hearts electrical system
causes AF and other types of arrhythmia.
AF occurs when rapid, disorganized electrical
signals in the atria cause them to fibrillate (contract in a very fast and
irregular way). When this happens, the hearts upper and lower chambers
dont work together as they should.
Often, people who have AF may not even feel
symptoms. However, even when not noticed, AF can lead to an increased risk of
stroke. In many patients, particularly when the rhythm is rapid, AF can cause
chest pain,
heart
attack, or
heart
failure.
The three types of AF are paroxysmal (the AF
comes and goes), persistent (the AF continues until stopped with treatment),
and permanent (a normal heart rhythm cant be restored).
Certain conditions, such as problems with the
heart's structure or conditions that damage the heart's valves, can lead to AF.
Other conditions, such as
obesity
and high
blood pressure, make it more likely that an episode of AF may happen.
More than 2 million people in the United States
have AF. It's more common in older people, and it affects both men and women.
Signs and symptoms of AF include palpitations,
shortness of breath, weakness or difficulty exercising, chest pain, dizziness
or fainting, fatigue (tiredness), or confusion.
AF has two major complicationsstroke
(caused when blood clots form in the atria and break off and travel to the
brain) and heart failure (caused by the hearts inability to efficiently
pump blood to the rest of the body). Heart attack is another, rarer
complication.
Doctors diagnose AF using family and medical
history, a physical exam, and diagnostic tests and procedures. AF can be
specifically diagnosed only by
EKG
recordings.
AF treatments, which include medicines and
procedures, are designed to prevent blood clots from forming, restore normal
the heart rate or rhythm, and treat underlying conditions that cause or raise
the risk of AF.
People who have AF can live normal, active lives.
For some people, treatment can cure AF and return their heart to its normal
rhythm. For people with permanent AF, treatment can successfully control
symptoms and prevent complications.
Links to Other Information About Atrial
Fibrillation