Afib can lead to stroke, heart attack
Atrial fibrillation is an abnormal heart rhythm (arrhythmia) that affects more than six million people in America. It can be irregular and is a common cause of “skipped beats” that patients may feel or report to their doctors.
Dr. James Richardson, cardiologist with Washington Health System Cardiovascular Care Associates, affiliated with the Washington Physicians Group, said there are many other causes of palpitations or skipped beats, some of which are benign. Afib can be an indicator of the predisposition for a stroke and its presence is commonly not benign. This serious complication of afib may be devastating for a patient and is the main reason why atrial fibrillation needs to be properly treated. Often, blood thinners such as warfarin or some newer anticoagulant medications are used to reduce the risk of stroke in the presence of afib.
Afib also can cause the heart to race out of control, causing an erratic and very fast heartbeat. If the heart races out of control for a prolonged period of time, it can lead to heart failure or even heart attack. This is another reason why atrial fibrillation needs to be properly treated. To reduce this risk, doctors can prescribe medicines to control the heart rates and sometimes even try to force the heart to convert back to a normal heart rhythm. In addition, an electrical shock (cardioversion) can be performed to “reset” the heart back in normal rhythm. This procedure is done under anesthesia and is often low risk.
Less commonly, afib can cause the heart to perform too slowly and may even cause a patient to pass out, fall and injure themselves. If the heart is going too slow in the presence of afib, a pacemaker is often needed to correct the slow heartbeats, thereby reducing the risk of passing out.
Richardson said that although effective treatments are available, afib has no cure. The range of treatments include: lifestyle modifications, treatment of exacerbating conditions, medications to control the heart rates, medication to “reset” or keep the heart in a normal rhythm, cardioversion, surgical ablation procedures and catheter ablation procedures.
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