Atrial fibrillation is a condition affecting the heart. The electrical impulse that passes through the heart causes the heart to contract abnormally. This is the most common heart rhythm disorder
Atrial Fibrillation is much more common in the older population and is is estimated that >4% of the population above the age of 60 years have Atrial Fibrillation (1, also from the Framingham Study)
Your doctor can suspect this when doing a thorough examination but it can only be confirmed with a ECG (electrocardiogram)
Atrial fibrillation or A-fib can cause a stroke or death in severe cases! long-standing A-fib is also a risk factor for dementia.
The symptoms can include
- Heart palpitations – this can feel like you heart skips a beat or is racing
- A patient can sometimes complain of dizziness
- You can experience tightness in your chest
Treatment for Atrial fibrillation or A-fib is aimed at affecting the heart rate, sometimes using “blood thinners” and occasionally to normalizes the rhythm. This can be in the form of medical management (tablets or treatment in a drip) or sometimes a patient might need referral to a cardiologist/casualty for a procedure. There are different procedures like cardioversion, ablation or pacemakers
So what can I do:
So what can I do:
- Firstly – If you suspect you might have A-fib – please consult with your doctor
- If you have been diagnosed with atrial fibrillation
- the PREDIMED primary prevention trial showed a decrease risk in developing a-fib if you have a diet high in olive oil and mixed nuts (like in a mediterranean diet)
- decrease alcohol intake
- controlled exercise and weight loss improve a-fib
- treat underlying conditions such as Sleep Apnoea (see our article here)
Sources: UptoDate, Prof Ker Atrial fibrillation basics July 2022