From StopAfib.org - For Afib Patients, By Afib Patients
Featured at Grand Rounds: Health Tips at USATODAY.com The holidays seem to bring on lots of atrial fibrillation, often attributed to a condition called “Holiday Heart Syndrome”, which is supposedly caused by consuming too much alcohol and caffeine during the holidays. This year, can we avoid afib caused by Holiday Heart Syndrome? I think so, [...]
In this video, Dr. Keith Ferdinand, Chief Science Officer of the Association of Black Cardiologists, talked about heart disease and atrial fibrillation among minorities, especially blacks and African Americans. He talked about why blacks appear to have less afib than whites, and what blacks should be doing to prevent AF and heart disease. Watch the [...]
Up to 30% of patients could have very late recurrence of atrial fibrillation after catheter ablation, according to research highlighted at the recent Boston AF Symposium. Very late recurrence, which is when atrial fibrillation resumes more than one year after ablation, may be the result of age, gender, type of afib, and existence of other [...]
A newly published study shows obesity is a major risk factor for left atrial enlargement (LAE), a condition in which the left upper chamber of the heart is oversized. That’s important to people who are concerned about atrial fibrillation (AF) because LAE is a risk factor for afib, stroke and death. Read more: Obesity Raises [...]
This very important story may change how afib patients and their doctors decide if they should be on anticoagulant medications (blood thinners), such as Coumadin or warfarin. The CHADS2 scoring system is how doctors now decide who should be on Coumadin or warfarin to avoid strokes, but a newly-published study adds new stroke risk factors [...]
Sleep apnea is an important risk factor for atrial fibrillation. It is also associated with hypertension, coronary artery disease, heart failure, stroke, diabetes, and insulin resistance, all of which are risk factors for, or results of, atrial fibrillation. Now a new study has just reported that men between the ages of 40 and 70 who [...]
Recently there have been a number of new beta blocker and heart rate studies, some of which are contradictory. The findings from some of these recent studies may apply to those with atrial fibrillation: Heart rates over 70 beats per minute predict heart attack risk Slowing the heart rate doesn’t protect those with hypertension—or does [...]
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 [...]
