What is Atrial Fibrillation?

An abnormal heart rhythm..

Atrial fibrillation (or sometimes referred to as atrial fib for short) is an abnormal heart rhythm caused by electrical activity problems in the upper chambers of the heart, called the atria. In atrial fibrillation, the heart beats irregularly, often faster or slower than normal.

When atrial fibrillation occurs, the blood tends to pool in the atrial chambers, leading to the formation of blood clots. Since the heart is not beating effectively, blood is not pumped completely out of the heart chambers (atria). When the blood pools in the atria, blood clots result. These blood clots can leave the atria, travel to the brain, and cause a stroke. Approximately 15% of strokes occur in people with atrial fibrillation. Atrial fibrillation can also lead to heart failure, if a heart damage exists.

Atrial fibrillation risk grows with age..

There are more than 2 million people in the United States with atrial fibrillation. About half a million new cases of atrial fibrillation are found in the US each year. Billions of dollars are spent in atrial fibrillation diagnosis and atrial fibrillation treatment. 

Atrial fibrillation most often develops in people who have high blood pressure, heart failure, heart disease of the arteries, or heart disease of the heart valves. However, many people have no atrial fibrillation symptoms. Atrial Fibrillation is most common in elderly individuals, and is seen in 17% of people over 80 years of age. 3 - 5% of people over 65 have atrial fibrillation. The older you get, the more likely you will develop atrial fibrillation.