Atrial fibrillation is very common in those with obstructive sleep apnea, and up to half of those who have afib also have sleep apnea. However, few studies have looked at the impact of sleep apnea on the success of catheter ablation and whether sleep apnea treatment with a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine makes a difference in arrhythmia recurrence.

A new study shows that severe obstructive sleep apnea is a powerful predictor of atrial fibrillation ablation failure and suggests the need for early diagnosis and treatment of sleep apnea in those with atrial fibrillation.

Read more:  Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea Predicts Atrial Fibrillation Ablation Failure, New Study Says

Tags: Catheter ablation, Sleep Apnea, Study, Symptoms, Treatment by Mellanie
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At Heart Rhythm 2010, there was an update on the results of the STOP AF (Sustained Treatment of Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation) clinical trial that involved patients who received cryoablation using the Arctic Front® Cardiac CryoAblation Catheter System. At twelve months following these procedures, these younger, highly-symptomatic patients had better quality of life and dramatically decreased afib symptoms.

In the article linked below, Jeremy Ruskin, MD, chair of the STOP AF trial steering committee and Director of the Cardiac Arrhythmia Service at Massachusetts General Hospital, discusses those results along with some of the technical advantages of the cryoballoon catheter. We also report on data just released at Cardiostim 2010 regarding shorter procedure times with this catheter.

Read more:  STOP AF Cryoablation for Atrial Fibrillation — Quality of Life Results and Technical Considerations

Tags: Catheter ablation, Study, Symptoms, Treatment by Mellanie
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Atrial fibrillation took center stage in a feature story in Tuesday’s Washington Post. The article not only looked at treatment for atrial fibrillation, but also at what afib does to patients. The atrial fibrillation experiences of Mellanie True Hills, founder of StopAfib.org, were included in this story.

Read more at:

Washington Post Highlights Afib: Atrial fibrillation is easy to find, but evidence on how best to treat it isn’t

Tags: Anticoagulation, Catheter ablation, General, Medication, Mellanie True Hills, Patient Stories, Resources, Risk, Stroke, Surgery, Symptoms, Treatment by Mellanie
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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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An important session at Heart Rhythm Society 2010 was “Medical Issues After Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation and Flutter.” It dealt with what constitutes success following catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (afib) and atrial flutter, and which is more important, the medical definition or the patient’s definition.

Which definition is used can have implications for treatment following catheter ablation. This session explored those issues, including the blanking period, repeat ablations, monitoring for asymptomatic events, and anticoagulation to deal with stroke risk.

Read:  What is Catheter Ablation Success and What are the Implications

Tags: Anticoagulation, Catheter ablation, Cure, Medication, Risk, Stroke, Symptoms, Treatment by Mellanie
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The AFib Educator will provide healthcare professionals with an at-hand resource to help illustrate how AFib affects patients including risks and symptoms.The free app and desktop widget will feature detailed animations of the heart, EKG demos and x-ray images. It will also show patients how AFib impacts the flow of blood between the heart’s chambers as well as electrical impulses.

Updated 3-22-10: The AFib Educator is now available. Find out more about how to download it to your desktop, laptop, or smartphone device (iPhone^TM mobile digital format) at “AFib Educator” Smartphone App and Desktop Widget Offers Patient Dialogue Tool for a Complex Cardiovascular Disease

Tags: AF Stat, General, Resources, Risk, Symptoms by Mellanie
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We often hear atrial fibrillation patients say that they wish their doctors could experience afib just once so they might better understand what we afib patients go through. Dr. John Mandrola, a Louisville-based electrophysiologist and a bike racer, just shared his story of experiencing atrial fibrillation and how it made him a more empathic doctor.

Read:  Atrial Fibrillation Strikes an Electrophysiologist

Tags: Exercise, General, Patient Stories, Symptoms 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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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 have severe sleep apnea have twice the risk of death as men without sleep apnea. Though women are probably also at increased risk, the study did not have enough women with sleep apnea to draw conclusions regarding an association between sleep apnea and death.

Sleep apnea is believed to impact about one in four men and one in ten women, and most are not aware that they have the problem. The article below contains very important information for both men and women with afib.

Read: Severe Sleep Apnea Doubles Risk of Death in Men — Implications for Those with Atrial Fibrillation

Tags: Causes or Triggers, High blood pressure, Prevention, Sleep Apnea, Symptoms, Treatment by Mellanie
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A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association finds a potential warning sign for three heart rhythm issues—the risk of atrial fibrillation, the need for a pacemaker, and the risk of death.

When EKGs show a prolonged PR interval, that is traditionally considered relatively benign, but that may not be the case. Increases in the length of the PR interval may actually be a warning about the patient’s atrial fibrillation risk, need for a pacemaker, or even death.

Learn more: EKG Warns of Potential Atrial Fibrillation Risk

Tags: Prevention, Risk, Symptoms by Mellanie
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