Bill Bradley's Heart - Atrial
Fibrillation
On December 11, 1999, Bill Bradley had to
cancel scheduled campaign events and go see a cardiologist
in Redwood City. He had an irregular heartbeat due to atrial
fibrillation. The abnormal heartbeat corrected itself without
treatment.
Mr. Bradley was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation in 1996, the
last year he served in the U.S. Senate. He is not the first prominent
political figure to have atrial fibrillation. George H. Bush
developed it while he was President. In Pres. Bush's case, it was
brought on by overactivity of his thyroid gland.
In Sen. Bradley's case, the atrial fibrillation had no known
cause. It is called idiopathic atrial fibrillation.
Mr. Bradley had been taking Procanbid to keep his
heart beat regular. (Procanbid is the brand name for an extended-
release form of procainamide, a venerable drug for atrial
fibrillation.) He had reportedly forgotten to take one of his two
daily Procanbid pills.
Another treatment for an attack of atrial fibrillation is
cardioversion. It uses an electrical shock to revert the heartbeat to
normal. Between 1996 and 1998, Mr. Bradley had four episodes of
atrial fibrillation and twice had cardioversion.
The main purpose of this article is not to cover the campaign nor
to emphasize Sen. Bradley's health status -- he resumed
campaigning and said he was "feeling great" -- but to provide an
in-depth reference to atrial fibrillation to which you may refer.
Atrial fibrillation is worth knowing about. It is "the most common
abnormality of the heart rhythm." Around "a half million new cases"
of atrial fibrillation" are diagnosed in the U.S. and "billions of
dollars" are spent in this country on the diagnosis and treatment of
this condition every year. "(S)ignificant advances" have been made in
the diagnosis and the treatment of atrial fibrillation.
For more information, please visit MedicineNet.com's Atrial Fibrillation Center.
Medical Editor, MedicineNet.com
Last Editorial Review: 8/13/2002
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