According to the American Heart Association (AHA), atrial fibrillation (also referred to as A Fib or AF), “is a quivering or irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia) that can lead to blood clots, stroke, heart failure and other heart-related complications.” The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), reports that an estimated 2.7 to 6.1 million Americans have been diagnosed with A Fib.
Atrial fibrillation is a very common disease that increases a person’s risk for a stroke by 4 to 5 times according to the CDC. A Fib can be treated with medication to control the rhythm of the heart, blood thinning medication, surgery, and healthy lifestyle changes to reduce certain risk factors.
Advancing age and high blood pressure are the highest risk factors for A Fib. Other risk factors include:
- Obesity
- European ancestry
- Diabetes
- Heart failure
- Heavy alcohol use
- Hyperthyroidism
Symptoms of A Fib may include palpitations, chest pain, dizziness, feeling weak, or tired. Your healthcare provider can make a definitive diagnosis by ordering an EKG or ECG. To schedule an appointment with a healthcare provider at any of our convenient Primary Medical Care Center community clinics, you may visit our website at www.primarymed.com, or call (305)751-1500 for our Miami-Dade clinic, or (954)289-0000 for our Broward clinic.
Source: https://www.stopafib.org/know.cfm
https://www.cdc.gov/dhdsp/data_statistics/fact_sheet/fs_atrial_fibrillation.htm
https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/atrial-fibrillation/what-is-atrial-fibrillation-afib-or-af