Atrial Fibrillation

• What is atrial fibrillation?
• What causes atrial fibrillation?
• What are the symptoms of atrial fibrillation?
• What are the complications of atrial fibrillation?
• What are the risk factors for developing atrial fibrillation?
• How is atrial fibrillation diagnosed?
  • EKG (electrocardiogram)
  • Holter monitor
  • Patient-activated event recorder
  • Echocardiography
  • Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE)
  • Other tests
  • Patient Discussions: Atrial Fibrillation - Effective Treatments
  • Find a local Cardiologist in your town
• How is atrial fibrillation treated?
  • Reversing the risk factors that cause atrial fibrillation
  • Slowing the heart rate with medications
  • Anticoagulation to prevent blood clots and strokes
  • Converting atrial fibrillation to a normal rhythm
  • Procedures for treating and preventing atrial fibrillation
• What is new in atrial fibrillation?
  • Pulmonary vein isolation
• Atrial Fibrillation At A Glance

  What is atrial fibrillation?

  Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common, abnormal rhythm of the heart.
  
  The heart contracts (beats) and pumps blood with a regular rhythm, for example, at a rate of 60 beats per minute there is a beat every second. The heart may beat faster or slower with a shorter or longer interval between beats, but at any one rate the interval between beats is constant. This regular rhythm occurs as a result of regular electrical discharges (currents) that travel through the heart and cause the muscle of the heart to contract. In AF, the electrical discharges are irregular and rapid and, as a result, the heart beats irregularly and, usually, rapidly.
  
  AF is common; half a million new cases are diagnosed yearly in the U.S., and billions of dollars are spent annually on its diagnosis and treatment.

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  Atrial Fibrillation - Effective Treatments

  The MedicineNet physician editors ask:

  What kinds of treatments have been effective for your atrial fibrillation?

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