World Heart Rhythm Week Poster

StopAfib.org is joining with the Arrhythmia Alliance (A-A), ICPES (International Cardiac Pacing and Electrophysiology), and numerous other international organizations in celebrating World Heart Rhythm Week. This annual global event is focused on raising awareness of, and education about, heart rhythm disorders such as atrial fibrillation and other heart arrhythmias. StopAfib.org is proud to be a part of this campaign.

As part of World Heart Rhythm Week, the Know Your Pulse campaign is being kicked off globally to make people aware of the importance of checking their pulse to identify potential afib and other arrhythmias. To learn more about World Heart Rhythm Week, and see the “Know Your Pulse” video with Sir Roger Moore, see:

StopAfib.org Announces Participation in World Heart Rhythm Week 2010 and Global “Know Your Pulse” Campaign – 6/7/10

Download World Heart Rhythm Week 2010 Poster

Tags: Advocacy, Audio/Video, Events, Prevention, Symptoms by Mellanie
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The “AFib Educator” iPhone App and desktop and laptop widget was launched this morning by the AF Stat coalition. The purpose behind the tool is to help doctors communicate with atrial fibrillation patients, but patients can download it, too.

Find out more and download it at:  AFib Educator Smartphone App and Desktop Widget Offers Patient Dialogue Tool for a Complex Cardiovascular Disease

Please come back and tell us what you think of it in the comments below. Would this facilitate communication between you and your doctor about afib? Why or why not? What enhancements would you suggest? Thanks.

Tags: AF Stat, Advocacy, Audio/Video, Resources, Treatment by Mellanie
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The Atrial Fibrillation Association in the UK was shocked by the decision by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) to deny atrial fibrillation patients access to dronedarone, a medication that has been approved in the U.S. and Europe. AFA is conducting a campaign to make the voices of atrial fibrillation patients heard. If you’re in the UK, and are as shocked as we are by NICE’s decision, please take action today.

Learn more about what you can do to influence NICE’s decision

Tags: Advocacy, Medication, Treatment by Mellanie
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On September 16, 2009, the AF Stat^TM coalition launched two major reports, the AF Stat Call to Action for Atrial Fibrillation and the Avalere Health report Medicare and Atrial Fibrillation: Consequences in Costs and Care. The videos from that webcast are now available for viewing online.

Learn more about AF Stat and access the webcast:
AF Stat^TM Webcast Video Presents Priorities to Improve Atrial Fibrillation Patient Care

Tags: AF Stat, Advocacy, Audio/Video, Events, General, Resources, Study by Mellanie
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Urgent coordinated action is needed to avoid the thousands of preventable strokes that leave many atrial fibrillation (AF) patients mentally and physically disabled or dead every year. A report, How Can We Avoid a Stroke Crisis?, was launched today in the European Parliament in Brussels by Action for Stroke Prevention, a group of health experts from across Europe.

It proposes measures to tackle stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation (afib), the most common, sustained abnormal heart rhythm and a major cause of stroke. Their proposal, endorsed by 17 leading European medical professional and patient organizations, calls for EU policy makers and Member State governments to act before the increasing frequency of these strokes becomes a major public health crisis.

StopAfib.org is proud to be one of the 17 organizations involved in and endorsing this report.

To learn more, read: Action for Stroke Prevention Launches New Health Report Exposing Imminent Risk of a Stroke Crisis in Europe

Tags: Advocacy, Anticoagulation, Medication, Prevention, Stroke by Mellanie
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StopAfib.org salutes our friends at the Arrhythmia Alliance and the Atrial Fibrillation Association, including Founder Trudie Lobban and Executive Committee President Professor John Camm, for their Know Your Pulse campaign to raise awareness of atrial fibrillation in order to encourage diagnosis and treatment of it.

The Know Your Pulse campaign encourages easy and inexpensive pulse checks as a way to identify potential atrial fibrillation. The campaign aims to ensure that pulse checks become routine and is encouraging supporters to sign a government e-petition. The British Heart Foundation (BHF) has just joined into this initiative.

• See Sir Roger Moore demonstrate how to take a pulse
• Learn more about the Know Your Pulse Campaign

Tags: Advocacy, Events, General, Symptoms by Mellanie
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Recently, we at StopAfib.org had the opportunity to talk with The Honorable William H. Frist, MD, Former U.S. Senate Majority Leader, heart and lung transplant surgeon, and AF Stat Policy Advisor about AF Stat™: A Call to Action for Atrial Fibrillation. We also got a “scoop” about his new book, A Heart to Serve. See the video at:

Video Interview: Dr. Bill First Talks About AF Stat™: A Call to Action for Atrial Fibrillation

Tags: AF Stat, Advocacy, Mellanie True Hills by Mellanie
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Healthcare leaders working to improve the health and well-being of people affected by atrial fibrillation, called AF Stat^TM: A Call to Action for Atrial Fibrillation, have just rolled out two reports, the AF Stat Call to Action for Atrial Fibrillation and Medicare and Atrial Fibrillation: Consequences in Cost and Care. You’ll find the AF Stat press release and those reports at:

Atrial Fibrillation:  Health Leaders Issue Recommendations to Improve Management of this Common, Costly and Misunderstood Cardiovascular Disease

Mellanie True Hills and StopAfib.org have been involved in AF Stat from the very beginning and Mellanie tweeted from the AF Stat webcast this week.

See the webcast tweets and pictures

The next step in AF Stat is to vote on the top priorities on which AF Stat should focus.

Vote for top AF Stat priorities

Read:  Atrial Fibrillation:  Health Leaders Issue Recommendations to Improve Management of this Common, Costly and Misunderstood Cardiovascular Disease

Tags: AF Stat, Advocacy, Events, General, Mellanie True Hills by Mellanie
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StopAfib.org is excited to announce that the U.S. Senate adopted, under unanimous consent, S. Res. 262, a resolution designating September 2009 as National Atrial Fibrillation Awareness Month. We especially want to thank Sen. Feingold for his work in getting the resolution approved this month.

We continue to work diligently to move this forward in the House of Representatives. Due to the momentum of the Senate having passed this, please take a moment right now to contact your Representative to ask that he or she sign on as a co-sponsor. It only takes a minute – here are the details for doing so:

ACTION REQUESTED:  Ask Your U.S. Representative to Support Atrial Fibrillation Awareness Month

Tags: Advocacy, General by Mellanie
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AF Stat^TM: A Call to Action for Atrial Fibrillation is a collaboration of healthcare leaders and organizations working to improve the health and well-being of people affected by atrial fibrillation. Next Wednesday, AF Stat will be holding a webcast and all afib patients, caregivers, and stakeholders are invited to attend.

This webcast will not cover medical treatment, but will instead focus on the impact of afib and what must be done to address this growing challenge. This event is for anyone who wants to learn more in order to help raise awareness of atrial fibrillation and to advocate for appropriate care. Learn more about AF Stat and the webcast, including how to register, at:

Webcast for AF Stat^TM: A Call to Action for Atrial Fibrillation (Afib) on September 16, 2009

StopAfib.org has been involved in AF Stat from the very beginning and I’ll be tweeting and blogging from the webcast live site in Washington, DC. Please join us for the webcast.

Tags: AF Stat, Advocacy, Events, General, Mellanie True Hills by Mellanie
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