Atrial Fibrillation

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Atrial Fibrillation

NIH - What Is Atrial Fibrillation? “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 heart’s electrical system causes AF and other types of arrhythmia. AF occurs when rapid, disorganized electrical signals in the heart’s 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 isn’t pumped completely into the heart’s two lower chambers, called the ventricles (VEN-trih-kuls). When this happens, the heart’s upper and lower chambers don’t 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. “

NIH - Medical Enyclopedia: Atrial fibrillation/flutter "Atrial fibrillation/flutter is a heart rhythm disorder (arrhythmia). It usually involves a rapid heart rate, in which the upper heart chambers (atria) are stimulated to contract in a very disorganized and abnormal manner."

NHS – Atrial Fibrillation “Because of the way the heart is beating in atrial fibrillation, the blood in the atria (upper chambers of the heart) does not flow in a normal manner and is very turbulent. This can result in blood clots forming. These clots may then be swept into the ventricles (lower chambers of the heart) and pumped into the lungs or into the general circulation. Clots in the general circulation can block arteries in the brain, causing a stroke. The risk of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation is about double that in the general population. The overall incidence of stroke in these people is 5 % per year. This risk is increased with age, high blood pressure, heart failure, diabetes and a history of embolism (blood clots).”

Highlighted Articles

Focus On Atrial Fibrillation Recognizes Growing Importance Of Common Arrhythmia (2008) "Atrial fibrillation occurs when the upper chambers of the heart--the atria--quiver in an uncoordinated way rather than contracting with a steady tempo. Not only can this result in a rapid, irregular heart beat, but blood can pool in the atria and form clots that travel to the brain, causing a stroke. Some 3 percent to 4 percent of people over age 60 have atrial fibrillation, a risk that climbs to more than 5 percent after age 70."

Atrial fibrillation. (Mt Sinai J Med. 2006) "Diabetes, hypertension, congestive heart failure, valvular disease, and myocardial infarction are all risk factors in the development of atrial fibrillation. And the diagnosis confers a five-fold increase in the incidence of stroke."

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Atrial Fibrillation

General Information

NEWS:

Women With Atrial Fibrillation Face Rougher Road Than Men “"Stroke is one of the most devastating results of cardiovascular disease, and atrial fibrillation increases the risk of stroke," the lead investigator, Dr. Annabelle Volgman, medical director of the Heart Center for Women at Rush University Medical Center, said in a news release from the hospital. "Women are at higher risk of atrial fibrillation-related stroke than men and are more likely to live with stroke-related disability, which can significantly lower quality of life."”

ARTICLES:

Atrial Fibrillation and Heart Disease

JOURNAL ARTICLES:

Atrial Fibrillation And The Risk Of Death In Patients With Heart Failure: A Literature-Based Meta Analysis. (Intern Med J. 2009)

Atrial fibrillation: A developmental point of view. (Heart Rhythm. 2009)

Atrial fibrillation, stroke and dementia in the very old: A population-based study (Neurobiology of Aging 2009)

Big men and atrial fibrillation: effects of body size and weight gain on risk of atrial fibrillation in men. (Eur Heart J. 2009) “Conclusion Large body size in youth, in an era when obesity was rare, as well as weight gain from age 20 to midlife, were both independently related to the development of AF. Given the current trends not only for obesity but also for height, a substantial increase in the incidence of AF is likely.”

Close bidirectional relationship between chronic kidney disease and atrial fibrillation: the Niigata preventive medicine study. (Am Heart J. 2009)

Cognitive disorders in elderly patients with permanent atrial fibrillation. (Kardiol Pol. 2009)

Predictors of atrial fibrillation recurrence in patients with long-lasting atrial fibrillation. (Can J Cardiol. 2009)

Presence and Duration of Atrial Fibrillation Detected by Continuous Monitoring: Crucial Implications for the Risk of Thromboembolic Events (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol. 2009)

The Long-Term Risk of Stroke in Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction Complicated with New-Onset Atrial Fibrillation. (Clin Cardiol. 2009)

Visceral adipose tissue and atherosclerosis. (Curr Vasc Pharmacol. 2009) “Visceral fat has been demonstrated to express more inflammatory cytokines than subcutaneous fat in obese states. The adipose tissue secretory profile may reflect the influx of macrophages that has been shown to occur with expansion of fat stores. This macrophage infiltration may lead to a chronic low grade, systemic, inflammatory state. Since circulating markers of inflammation are associated with cardiovascular events, the inflammation triggered by adipose tissue may contribute to increased vascular disease. While the vasculopathic effects of visceral obesity may be best treated by weight loss, long term weight loss is difficult to achieve, even with currently available pharmacotherapies.”

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