Heart Healthy Blog » Atrial fibrillation

Irregular Heartbeat Linked to Sleep Apnea

admin — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 21:20:02 +0000

Research is showing that the characteristic snorting and gasping of sleep apnea can spur potentially fatal heartbeat abnormalities. Senior study author Dr. Susan Redline was quoted in Health News saying, “we studied the specific risk of cardiac arrhythmias and sleep apnea — do these events act as a trigger for cardiac abnormalities?” she said. “And we established that there is a close temporal relationship.”

Heartbeat patterns seen during normal breathing against those occurring within 90 seconds of a sleep apnea episode were compared during the research. The researchers focused on atrial fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia, a too-fast beating of the lower blood-pumping chambers that can cause sudden death. The research, which consisted of 57 people with varying ranges of sleep apnea disorders, showed 62 arrhythmias. Because of these findings, it’s important that doctors be alert for the possibility of sleep apnea in people who have heart rhythm abnormalities.

For the rest of the study, visit NorthShore University HealthSystem’s news section.

Sleep Apnea and Stroke Sleep apnea has been connected to an increased risk of...
Men at Higher Risk for Sudden Cardiac Death Findings presented at the annual meeting of the American Heart...
Cardiac Arrests Deaths Down But Not for All Many more Americans are surviving cardiac arrests these days, especially...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Caffeine Consumption without Healthy Diet and Heart Risks

admin — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 16:18:10 +0000

A new study shows that excessive caffeine intake may cause heart risks in individuals who do not follow a healthy diet.

HealthDay News writes, “Italian researchers asked patients who’d been recently diagnosed with the common heart arrhythmia to supply information about their dietary habits, including caffeine consumption. Their diets were compared with those of people without atrial fibrillation”.

Coffee intake was divided into categories contingent on amount consumed: low, medium, heavy or none. Patients also ranked their adherence to a diet filled with whole grains, olive oil, fruits and vegetables and minimal red meat (also known as the Mediterranean diet). The study concluded people with atrial fibrillation were less likely to follow a proper diet. The study also showed that those who drank the most coffee were also more likely to have atrial fibrillation than those who drank less. In atrial fibrillation, the heart’s two upper chambers quiver instead of beating regularly, leading to heart palpitations, shortness of breath, fatigue and an increase in the risk of stroke.

Study Shows Tea and Coffee can reduce the Risk of Heart Disease Think you drink too much coffee? Well think again! According...
Coffee May Reduce Risk of Heart Rhythm Problems Typically people with heart disturbances, or abnormal heart rhythms, are...
Alcohol Consumption in Moderation Beneficial Two new studies show light-to-moderate drinking can help protect the...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Questions on Atrial Fibrillation

admin — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 18:48:07 +0000

According to the American Heart Association, “Atrial fibrillation is a disorder found in about 2.2 million Americans. During atrial fibrillation, the heart’s two small upper chambers (the atria) quiver instead of beating effectively. Blood isn’t pumped completely out of them, so it may pool and clot. If a piece of a blood clot in the atria leaves the heart and becomes lodged in an artery in the brain, a stroke results. About 15 percent of strokes occur in people with atrial fibrillation”.

There are many questions surrounding atrial fibrillation. NorthShore University HealthSystem had an online live chat on the topic a few months ago, which sought out to answer some of these questions. Here are just a few:
The symptoms of Atrial fibrillation and some sound very similar to a heart attack (shortness of breath and chest pains for example). How do I differentiate between the two?
Dr. Westby G. Fisher (NorthShore):

Heart attacks are often difficult to identify from symptoms alone, because nearly have of those who have a heart attack never feel the symptoms. In general, atrial fibrillation is characterized by an irregular pulse and loss of mechanical contraction of the upper chambers of the heart, which diminishes the heart’s pumping ability slightly. This can lead to symptoms of shortness of breath, lightheadedness, palpitations (an uncomfortable heart beat), and sometimes chest or neck discomfort described as tightness or (less often) pain. If concerned, it is wise to seek medical attention if you have any of these symptoms.

For more questions and answers, check out the atrial fibrillation live chat transcript.

Caffeine Consumption without Healthy Diet and Heart Risks A new study shows that excessive caffeine intake may cause...
Top 12 Signs of Heart Disease Heart disease is the leading cause of death in America....
Leg Pain Not Caused by Injury Pain in your legs can be caused by minor leg...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.