Atrial Fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation (or AFib) is a common
irregular heart beat (arrhythmia) that
occurs when the upper chamber of the heart
quivers instead of beats effectively. Blood
doesn’t leave the small upper chambers of
the heart completely and a blood clot may
form. If a blood clot leaves the heart and
becomes lodged in an artery in the brain a
stroke occurs. Approximately 15% of
strokes are caused by atrial fibrillation.
FACTS ABOUT ATRIAL FIBRILLATION
- AFib is the most common abnormal
heart rhythm
- An estimated 2.2 million people in
the U.S. have AFib, with 180,000 new
cases diagnosed each year
- Approximately 5% of people over the
age of 65 have AFib
WARNING SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
Often people with atrial fibrillation have
no symptoms and are unaware of their
condition and increased risk for stroke.
Those that do have symptoms may experience:
- palpitations
- shortness of breath
- dizziness
- weakness
RISK FACTORS FOR ATRIAL FIBRILLATION
- age
- history of heart disease
- high blood pressure
- sleep apnea
- thyroid disorders
- alcohol abuse
- family history
DIAGNOSIS
Atrial fibrillation is diagnosed by
recording the heart rhythm or heart beat by performing a rhythm strip analysis. SafeHeart
Health Screens offers an atrial fibrillation
screen to test for this condition.
