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 [...]
New Atrial Fibrillation (AF) Stroke Risk Factors Reveal That More Should Be on Coumadin or Warfarin, Especially Women
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 [...]
New Study Finds NT-proBNP Levels Predict New Atrial Fibrillation (AF) Up To Sixteen Years in Advance
A new study reports that blood levels of a protein hormone called N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) predicts new atrial fibrillation, regardless of other afib risk factors. Those with the highest levels were four times as likely to develop afib as those with the lowest levels. In the study, elevated levels of NT-proBNP occurred as [...]
Men with Severe Sleep Apnea are at Twice the Risk of Death — What Those with Atrial Fibrillation Need to Know
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 [...]
Wear Red February 6, 2009 to Raise Awareness of the #1 Killer, Heart Disease
This is my crazy-busy time of year, with many back-to-back trips for speeches. I speak at Go Red for Women and women’s heart health events around the country, especially during Heart Month (February). I go for a couple of days, come home for 12-24 hours, and then leave again. No matter how crazy it is [...]
Airports Where Travelers with Atrial Fibrillation May Find Healthier Food Options
Healthy diet is so important to those with afib and to anyone who has, or wants to ward off, heart disease and other health issues. So, here is some really useful information for your holiday travel. The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine just ranked 15 busy airports based on whether they have healthy food. Read: [...]
Does Air Pollution Cause Atrial Fibrillation?
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. [...]
Women, Atrial Fibrillation, and Inflammation
Since I posted a few days ago on Statins Help Women with Atrial Fibrillation, Hans Larsen, owner of the Lone Atrial Fibrillation Bulletin Board, created a great recap of studies related to inflammation and atrial fibrillation, including lone atrial fibrillation (afib without any underlying heart disease). It’s definitely worth checking out to find out more about inflammation. Some findings he included [...]
