Heart Healthy Blog » Atrial fibrillation

Regular Drinkers May be At Risk for Irregular Heartbeat

admin — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 20:03:03 +0000

People who regularly drink a large amount of alcohol daily are at more risk for developing a dangerous irregular heart rhythm (atrial fibrillation) than nondrinkers.

Atrial fibrillation is a life-threatening irregular heart rhythm. It causes episodes of fast, uneven heartbeats that can result in chest pains, shortness of breath, and an increased risk of heart failure and stroke. Daily, large consumption of alcohol can lead to this condition.

A large amount of alcohol is categorized as more than 2 drinks a day for men and more than one and a half drinks a day for women. Before this new study, there has not been consistent proof of the link between habitual drinking and atrial fibrillation.

The new study states an 8% increased risk for each drink containing 10 grams of alcohol. Basically, one drink per day increases the chance of developing atrial fibrillation by 8% and two drinks a day raises the risk by 16%. While the study does not state how alcohol consumption affects atrial fibrillation risk, one researcher says it’s best just to avoid alcohol if you’re worried about atrial fibrillation at all.

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Strict Heart Rate Control No Better Than Lenient Method

admin — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 20:20:31 +0000

Experts state in a new report that strictly controlling the heart rate in patients with atrial fibrillation provides no real benefits. Lenient heart rate control is just as effective as the strict method.

Atrial fibrillation is a type of irregular heart rhythm that causes the heart to beat erratically making the two upper chambers pump blood rapidly and inefficiently. The chambers can be filled with blood and clot, increasing the chance of stroke or heart attack. Over 2 million Americans are afflicted with this condition.

The strict heart rate guideline says patients should be at less than 80 beats per minute at rest and less than 110 during a six-minute walk. The more lenient approach recommends a resting heart rate of 110 in patients with stable functioning of the ventricles.

New evidence has shown rigid control of patients’ heart rates do not provide any real benefits. There is no need for such an emphasis on heart rate, giving drugs and treatment solely based on heart rate. Patients with symptoms due to a rapid heart action should be treated instead.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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