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:
-
Coronary artery disease
- Heart
failure
- Rheumatic heart disease
- Structural defects, such as
mitral
valve disorders
- Pericarditis (inflammation of the tissues
surrounding the heart)
-
Congenital
heart defects
- 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.
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