New Issue of Journal of Atrial Fibrillation
A new issue of the Journal of Atrial Fibrillation is now available.
Information about the new issue is available here: Journal of Atrial Fibrillation Issue #3
A new issue of the Journal of Atrial Fibrillation is now available.
Information about the new issue is available here: Journal of Atrial Fibrillation Issue #3
We need your help…
The designation of September as Atrial Fibrillation Month is included in the register of dates, Chase’s Calendar of Events. A resolution has now been introduced into the U.S. Congress requesting that September be officially recognized as ”National Atrial Fibrillation Awareness Month.”
Please click on the link below to check out how you can help:
ACTION REQUESTED: Tell Your U.S. Representative to Support Atrial Fibrillation Awareness
Thanks so much for your help.
You can take advantage of a rare opportunity to ask Dr. Larry Chinitz and Dr. Ralph Damiano your atrial fibrillation questions. They will be answering afib questions over at the Journal of Atrial Fibrillation.
Please click on this link to learn more: Ask Dr. Larry Chinitz and Dr. Ralph Damiano Your Atrial Fibrillation Questions
PLEASE NOTE: Questions posted in our comments section here will be answered by the folks at StopAfib.org, NOT by Dr. Chinitz or Dr. Damiano.
Since many who have atrial fibrillation also have high blood pressure, this interesting new study out of Vanderbilt University Medical Center may be of value to know about.
This study finds that, contrary to the current U.S. hypertension guidelines, thiazide diuretics need to be combined with “potassium-sparing” drugs to reduce sudden cardiac death risk.
Read Caution for Those Being Treated for High Blood Pressure
First, our thoughts go out to those who suffered from Hurricane Ike over the weekend, from those who are dealing with the devastating aftermath of the winds and water in Galveston, Houston, and all along the Texas coast, to those throughout the middle portion of the country who are dealing with flooding from Ike. We hope that you and your families are safe and well.
Now, on to atrial fibrillation topics…
For those in Georgia and Pennsylvania, we hope you can join us at these upcoming atrial fibrillation seminars in late September in celebration of Atrial Fibrillation Month:
If you’re not close to one of these locations, please ask your local hospital to bring me in to do an atrial fibrillation program for your community.
Over the next few months we’d like to help get some local afib support groups started. If you’re interested, please click on this link to contact us.
Please keep spreading the word with family and friends about Atrial Fibrillation Month and about subscribing to our StopAfib.org Newsletter to get the latest atrial fibrillation news. To get more info, please click on this link.
I write and talk a lot about air pollution and heart disease. We’ve known for a long time, from a wide array of studies, that air pollution can lead to heart disease and heart attacks.
Air pollution has always caused my heart to race, but I thought I was unusual in that regard. Apparently not.
A new study talks about the impact of air pollution on the heart’s electrical functioning:
Read Can Air Pollution Cause Atrial Fibrillation?
After reading it, please come back and add your comments to this blog as to what your experience is - has air pollution caused or triggered your atrial fibrillation?
A recent study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology evaluated 137 patients who had undergone closure or removal of the left atrial appendage (LAA) during maze or mini maze surgery and found a high failure rate and that surgical LAA closure may not always protect against blood clots or strokes.
Read more at Left Atrial Appendage Removal May Not Always Prevent Stroke…
Lately there have been questions, comments, and requests for atrial fibrillation information that already exists in the StopAfib.org news story archives.
So with September being Atrial Fibrillation Month, it seems appropriate to call attention to the important afib documents and stories in our News archives. You’ll generally find there stories that are more than 3 months old.
Go to StopAfib.org Archived News Stories…
You may want to peruse many of the stories there. I’d especially like to call your attention to two of the most important documents for anyone with afib — you will find them both at the bottom of the page as they were our first news stories:
The first document is important for all afib patients, and the second is important for anyone considering catheter ablation, maze surgery, or mini maze surgery now or in the future.
On another subject, thanks for your help in spreading the word in September that it is Atrial Fibrillation Month by sending friends and family to:
At StopAfib.org, we asked Dr. Lishan Aklog, Chief of Cardiovascular Surgery at The Heart and Lung Institute of St. Joseph’s Hospital in Phoenix, to address an atrial fibrillation patient question regarding the use of amiodarone for mini maze surgery. You will find his answer here:
FAQ: Dr. Lishan Aklog Addresses Patient Question on Whether to Use Amiodarone for Mini Maze Surgery
I recently wrote Olympic Athlete Nicola Coles Fights Atrial Fibrillation about the New Zealand rower who experienced atrial fibrillation during her final training for Beijing.
You may have wondered if Nicola’s afib impacted her during the Olympics. You’ll find the answer in the updated story:
Nicola Coles and Other Olympic Athletes Fight Atrial Fibrillation
Just scan about halfway down the page to find the update.
