AF is the irregular, chaotic beating of the
upper chambers of the heart

ECG tracing a normal heart rhythm

ECG tracing atrial fibrillation (AF).
The rhythm is irregular and erratic.

Explore additional information regarding Atrial Fibrillation:

Mayo Clinic Website
http://www.a-fib.com
http://www.medscape.com/
http://www.arrhythmiaalliance.org.uk/
http://www.afibprofessional.org/
http://www.anticoagulationeurope.org

 

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia affecting over 5.5 million people worldwide. AF is the irregular, chaotic beating of the upper chambers of the heart. Electrical impulses discharge so rapidly that the atrial muscle quivers or fibrillates. Episodes of AF may last a few minutes or several days.

The symptoms of AF vary from mild fatigue to dizziness to chest pain or difficulty breathing. Some patients feel their heart palpitating: while others are unaware of the change in heart rate. AF is associated with medical conditions such as coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, or an overactive thyroid. Sometimes there is no identifiable cause.

AF is not itself life threatening. Treatment depends on the symptoms patients are experiencing and the underlying medical conditions. It may include rate or rhythm controlling drugs to stabilize the heart rate, electrical cardioversion to restore the normal heart rhythm, or ablation techniques that isolate the electrical circuits that may be triggering episodes of AF.

The most serious consequence of AF is ischemic stroke. It is estimated that up to 20% of all strokes are related to AF. Most AF patients, regardless of the severity of their symptoms or frequency of episodes, require treatment to reduce the risk of stroke.

In patients with AF, blood tends to pool and form clots in an area of the heart called the left atrial appendage (LAA). The LAA is a pouch-like extension located in the upper left chamber of the heart. A blood clot that breaks loose from this area may migrate through the blood vessels and eventually plug a smaller vessel in the brain or heart resulting in a stroke or heart attack. Clinical studies show that the majority of blood clots in patients with AF are found in the LAA. ¹

1. Blackshear J.L., Odell J.A., Appendage Obliteration to Reduce Stroke in Cardiac Surgical Patients with Atrial Fibrillation.  Annals of Thoracic Surgery, 1996;61:755-759.