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
Dr. Natale has answered your atrial fibrillation questions and will take a few more or your questions.
You can take advantage of a rare opportunity to ask famed electrophysiologist and “catheter ablation maestro”
UPDATED 8-17-2008: “Ask Dr. Natale” is now closed, but you may now ask questions of Salwa Beheiry, who works very closely with Dr. Natale. Click on the link above to learn more and to go to the site where you can ask Salwa your questions.
Last time, we mentioned the Micronutrient Information Center of the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University. Here’s some additional information from there related to cardiac arrhythmias:
“Walnuts are especially rich in alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid with a number of cardioprotective effects, including the prevention of cardiac arrhythmias that may lead to sudden cardiac death.”
So, walnuts can help prevent cardiac arrhythmias. Wow!
Other good sources of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) are flaxseed, flaxseed oil, walnut oil, canola oil, mustard oil, soybean oil, and tofu.
If you’re not familiar with flaxseed, check out my flaxseed article.
If you have atrial fibrillation, it might be worth considering adding these foods to your diet.
Do these foods help with your afib?
Is there anyone with atrial fibrillation who hasn’t been told that coffee and caffeine can cause or trigger atrial fibrillation?
The first step to controlling atrial fibrillation, we’re often told, is to eliminate coffee. Because of this, coffee and caffeine are frequent topics on afib discussion forums.
But there’s interesting information about coffee at the Micronutrient Information Center of the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University.
This fascinating site contains interesting facts, such as that unfiltered coffee can raise total cholesterol and bad cholesterol (LDL) levels. In addition, coffee consumption is associated with decreased risk of Type 2 diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, and liver disease, and there is no evidence that it increases the risk of cancer. It can increase blood pressure, but most studies found no increased cardiovascular disease risk from moderate consumption.
What was most interesting, though, was the relationship of coffee and cardiac arrhythmias, such as atrial fibrillation. According to the site,
“Clinical trials have not found coffee or caffeine intake equivalent to 5-6 cups/d to increase the frequency or severity of cardiac arrhythmias in healthy people or people with CHD. A large prospective study in the US that followed more than 128,000 people for 7 years found no association between coffee consumption and sudden cardiac death. More recently, two prospective studies in Scandinavia found no association between coffee consumption and the risk of developing atrial fibrillation, a common supraventricular arrhythmia.”
So, according to this, coffee, even 5-6 cups per day, doesn’t play a role in developing atrial fibrillation or increasing the frequency or severity of arrhythmias.
When this topic comes up on a discussion forum, someone will inevitably say that they drink as much coffee they want as long as it’s organic or it’s decaf.
What has been your experience with coffee and afib? Does cutting out coffee or caffeine decrease or eliminate your atrial fibrillation? Or does it make it any difference at all?
How many of us grab some coffee when we’re stressed? Could it be stress, not coffee, that’s the culprit?
In Atrial Fibrillation Patient Discussion Forums, we mentioned the A-fibcures group, which focuses on non-pharmaceutical atrial fibrillation cures.
Much of the recent group discussion has centered on understanding the confusing and ever-changing landscape of atrial fibrillation surgery. Group moderator, Carl Plaskett, reached out to THE authority on the Maze procedure, Dr. Jim Cox, known as the “Father of Maze Surgery”, to provide some clarity around atrial fibrillation surgery.
Dr. Cox was kind enough to write up a brief white paper. It’s a fascinating look at where we are, and where we have been, in trying to cure atrial fibrillation.
Find out more and access the White Paper by Dr. Cox
StopAfib.org was recently featured in an article on Patient Web Exchanges Provide Benefits, which talked about how patients with better social networks have better outcomes.
There are plenty of atrial fibrillation patient discussion forums and social networks. Below are some places you may want to check out, some of which I hang out at pretty regularly:
For future reference, these discussion forums are also listed here at the Atrial Fibrillation Blog, under Afib Forums, and in our Patient and Caregiver Resources at StopAfib.org.
For tips on joining and participating in these discussion forums, read this full Patient Discussion Forums article.
Please share any other atrial fibrillation discussion groups or afib social networks you recommend here.
Our atrial fibrillation patient resource, StopAfib.org, is featured in Patient Web Exchanges Provide Benefits at the Physicians’ Financial News web site. The article is about the value of these patient web exchanges for doctors and patients. Read more…
The Journal of Atrial Fibrillation is a brand new journal focused on irregular heart rhythms and on improving treatment of atrial fibrillation patients.
Dr. Andrea Natale is the Editor-in-Chief, and dozens of other well-known EPs and surgeons from around the globe serve as editors.
They will be adding patient info over time, but the first issue of the journal is up currently.
Learn more about it, including some of the well-known EPs and surgeons that are editors and the topics in the current issue, or just go straight to the journal.
