About Atrial Fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common arrhythmia, afflicts over 2.2 million Americans and that number is expected to grow as Americans age. Normally, your heart beats at a steady rate between 60-80 beats per minute (BPM) to pump oxygen rich blood throughout your body. The heartbeat starts as a tiny impulse that originates in the sino-atrial node (S-A Node). As this pulse spreads throughout the heart, it causes first the upper chambers (atria) to contract and then the lower (ventricles), forcing blood to flow to the lungs and throughout the body.
However, sometimes the atria can beat erratically or fibrillate (300-600 BPM). When the atria fibrillates, the blood is not completely pumped out of the atria chamber, causing the blood to pool and possibly clot. This can put the patient at great risk of a heart attack or stroke. The American Heart Association estimates that 15% of strokes are the result of atrial fibrillation. In addition to this risk, prolonged afib episodes (120+BPM) may damage the heart muscle (called heart remodeling).
If you have afib, you may not be getting enough blood to your brain and other organs. Patients can experience various symptoms including heart palpitations, shortness of breath, dizziness, fatigue or fainting. Some patients, however, are not symptomatic (asymptomatic) and are not aware they may be having afib episodes.
Additional Reading on Atrial Fibrillation
- AF Advisor
- Expert information for people with atrial fibrillation.
- AF, The Atrial Fibrillation Network
- Searchable database provided in order to collect information from sufferers of atrial fibrillation.
- The AFIB REPORT
- A site that serves as gathering place for people with atrial fibrillation and to actively research and disseminate information about AF.
- The AFIB REPORT Bulletin Board
- A bulletin board for sharing personal experiences regarding lone atrial fibrillation.
- AFIBSupport.com
- A support group for people who suffer or previously suffered atrial fibrillation (afib).
- American Stroke Association
- Guide to living with atrial fibrillation, a key stroke risk factor.
- Atrial Fibrillation Foundation
- Education and research in atrial fibrillation.
- Atrial Fibrillation Glossary
- Definitions of terms often associated with atrial fibrillation.
- Atrial Fibrillation Resources for Patients
- Information to find the right doctor and medical center, along with personal experiences of patients who have been successfully treated for a-fib.
- FindArticles: Atrial Fibrillation and Anticoagulants
- "The effect of age and quality of life on doctors' decisions to anticoagulate patients with atrial fibrillation."
- JAMA Archives of Internal Medicine
- "Prevalence, age distribution, and gender of patients with atrial fibrillation. Analysis and implications." Selected abstract.
- Lab Tests Online
- Pros and cons of home testing.
- Medscape: Anticoagulation Case Presentation
- Presenting to the ER With Atrial Fibrillation. (Requires free registration.)
- MedScape: Atrial Fibrillation Patient Education Center
- Printable patient FAQs, anatomical line drawings, searchable patient drug info handouts. (Requires free registration.)
- MedScape: Atrial Fibrillation Resource Center
- Editor-selected collections of Medscape's key clinical content on atrial fibrillation. (Requires free registration.)
- MedScape: St. Jude Medical InfoSite
- Atrial fibrillation news from St. Jude Medical. (Requires free registration.)
- National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
- Atrial fibrillation fact sheet.