Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial Fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation -- the most common type of cardiac arrhythmia -- causes an irregular heartbeat that can increase your risk for stroke and heart failure. Atrial fibrillation (AF or AFib) results from faulty signals produced by the heart's electrical system, causing the upper portion of the heart to fibrillate, or contract rapidly and irregularly. AFib doesn't cause noticeable symptoms for everyone. For those who do experience symptoms, heart palpitations are common along with feeling weak, dizzy and tired. Learn more about atrial fibrillation with expert advice from Sharecare.

Recently Answered

  • QAre complex cardiac ablations an effective treatment for AFib?
    1 Answer
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    Dr. Roger K. Muse, MD - San Antonio, TX - Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology
    A Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology, answered on behalf of
    Are complex cardiac ablations an effective treatment for AFib?
    Complex cardiac ablations have a 70-80% first year success rate. In this video, Roger Muse, MD, cardiac electrophysiologist with Metropolitan Methodist Hospital, explains why the complex cardiac ablation's success rate decreases over time. 
  • QWhat is Savaysa?
    1 Answer
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    RealAge
    A answered
    Savaysa (edoxaban) is a prescription drug for patients who suffer from atrial fibrillation (irregular heartbeat) not caused by heart valve problems. It is also used to prevent dangerous clotting problems in people who have received injectable blood thinner medicine for 5 to 10 days. Savaysa is a tablet taken once a day. It is a kind of drug known as a factor Xa inhibitor, which blocks formation of blood clots. Patients who take edoxaban or another blood thinner for atrial fibrillation are at a higher risk of stroke if they stop taking it; if you are taking Savaysa and want to stop, talk to your doctor about other effective medications. Side effects of Savaysa may include bleeding, rash, abnormal liver function tests, and anemia. Savaysa has not been proven safe during pregnancy or nursing, or for use by children. Savaysa should not be used with anticoagulants, including warfarin and aspirin, or with the antibiotic rifampin. 
  • QWhat is the next step after a diagnosis of atrial fibrillation (AFib)?
    2 Answers
    A
    Univ. of Nev. School of Medicine, Family Medicine
    A answered
    After a diagnosis of atrial fibrillation (AFib) the goals of treatment are symptom control and prevention of thromboembolic (blood clot) events. This is done in two ways: controlling the heart rate and prescribing anticoagulation (blood thinners). There are various methods in the management of each, and treatment is personalized depending on the cause of the atrial fibrillation and the patient's other medical conditions.
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  • QWhat should patients expect before an atrial fibrillation procedure?
    1 Answer
    A
    Los Robles Hospital & Medical Center
    A answered
    What should patients expect before an atrial fibrillation procedure?
    Patients will enter a cardiovascular observation area to be prepped for their atrial fibrillation procedure. Watch Susan Johnson, RN, director of cardiovascular services at Los Robles Hospital & Medical Center, explain the pre-operative process.
  • QWhat is the cost of treating atrial fibrillation?
    1 Answer
    A
    Dr. Graham M. Bundy, MD - Richmond, VA - Thoracic Surgery (Cardiothoracic Vascular)
    A Thoracic Surgery (Cardiothoracic Vascular), answered on behalf of
    Afib care costs nearly $15,000 annually in incremental direct and indirect costs per patient, an unacceptable growth trend. In order to reduce healthcare costs, hospitalization rates and improve quality of life, innovative treatment solutions, such as the Hybrid Maze procedure, aim to help facilitate the management of Afib without relying on repeat treatments such as radiofrequency ablation therapy, cardioversions (ongoing electrical manipulation of heart rate) or continued adjustment of medications.
  • QHow does the WATCHMAN device work?
    1 Answer
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    Dr. Ramon Quesada, MD - Miami, FL - Cardiology (Cardiovascular Disease)
    A Cardiology (Cardiovascular Disease), answered on behalf of
    The WATCHMAN device effectively closes off an area of the heart called the left atrial appendage (LAA) to keep harmful blood clots from entering the blood stream and potentially causing a stroke. Twenty percent of all strokes occur in patients with atrial fibrillation (AFib), and AFib-related strokes are more frequently fatal and disabling. The most common treatment to reduce stroke risk in patients with AFib is the blood-thinning medication warfarin.

    By closing off the heart’s LAA, the risk of stroke may be reduced and, over a short period of time, patients should be able to stop taking warfarin.
  • QHow does atrial fibrillation (AFib) increase a person’s risk of stroke?
    2 Answers
    A
    Univ. of Nev. School of Medicine, Family Medicine
    A answered
    Atrial fibrillation (AFib) increases your risk for stroke. Your heart beats using electricity, but in atrial fibrillation, the electrical activity is not organized. As a result, the heart does not beat very well, and not all of the blood can move from chamber to chamber. When blood doesn't move, it thickens and forms clots. These clots are what increases the risk for stroke. If there is a clot sitting in the heart and all of a sudden the heart beats nice and strong like it doesn't have atrial fibrillation, it can cause the clot to move out of the heart. The most common spot the clot goes to is the brain. The clot flows in the vessels until it gets stuck in a vessel in a brain. That part of the brain no longer gets blood because the clot stopped the flow. This is what causes a stroke.
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  • QHow long does a defibrillator last?
    2 Answers
    A
    Dr. James Mock, MD - Las Vegas, NV - Cardiology (Cardiovascular Disease)
    A Cardiology (Cardiovascular Disease), answered on behalf of
    How Long Does a Defibrillator Last?
    Defibrillators are permanently implanted, says James Mock, MD, a cardiologist at MountainView Hospital. In this video he describes the device and how it works.
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  • QWhat kinds of implants are used to treat atrial fibrillation?
    1 Answer
    A
    Dr. James Mock, MD - Las Vegas, NV - Cardiology (Cardiovascular Disease)
    A Cardiology (Cardiovascular Disease), answered on behalf of
    What Kinds of Implants Are Used to Treat Artrial Fibrillation?
    Atrial fibrillation can be treated with the implant of a defibrillator, says James Mock, MD, a cardiologist at MountainView Hospital. In this video, he discusses how defibrillators work.
  • QHow does the lariat procedure treat atrial fibrillation?
    1 Answer
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    UCLA Health
    A answered
    The lariat procedure is used to treat people with atrial fibrillation. In the lariat procedure, a needle is used to enter the sac surrounding the heart and guide a loop of suture around the base of the left atrial appendage to permanently seal off the part of the heart where blood clots form to cause strokes in people with AF. An advantage of this approach is that doctors don’t leave hardware within the heart, which is important for people who can’t take blood thinners.