What is A-Fib?

Atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common arrhythmia, afflicts over 4.2 million Americans (most are 65+ years old) 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 heart can beat erratically or fibrillate (300-600 BPM). If 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 a-fib episodes (120+BPM) may damage the heart muscle (called heart remodeling).

What are the symptoms?

If you have a-fib, 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 a-fib episodes.