Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) | Q&A

Questions Answered:
1. What is atrial fibrillation? What causes it? 0:03
2. How is atrial fibrillation diagnosed? 0:41
3. Once atrial fibrillation is diagnosed, how should it be treated? 1:07
4. Are all people with atrial fibrillation at high risk of stroke? 1:59
5. What other approaches are available to lower the stroke risk in patients with atrial fibrillation? 3:14
6. What techniques are available to remove or occlude the atrial appendage? 4:17
7. How do you decide which approach to use for a given patient? 5:03

[robertogarza]

My severe mental problems triggered my afib. The chronic state of fight or flight.

[C-Murdaa]

I'm 20 and just got diagnosed with afib. I hope I can get the help I need 🙏

[geraldpage]

Had ablation procedure done about 4 months ago. Results were excellent and I feel much better. Not uncommon to have to have multiple ablations. Hope that’s not the case but it was about as easy a heart procedure as you can imagine. I learned a ton throughout the process.

[soniabaker]

Having trouble for the past year at least with my heart skipping and running fast at times I found out in the last 2 months that I have CKD, I changed my diet, cut down my sugar intake, no dairy, no red meats, loads of veg, Alpro and other vegan products, no salty products, plenty of grapes, apples, more water than I usually would drink, extra vitamins especially B12 B2 C and D. Zinc, magnesium, I'm not sure what has done it but my heart is functioning normal again.😳lost 8 lbs too, try to get as much exercise as I can, mainly walking.

[studymassage]

I went into Afib after open heart surgery. Did a Cardioversion to restore the heartbeat, which worked. In Afib, I felt fine, B/P 128/65. They fixed the Afib, now I am at 190/90 and on 4 different B/P meads. I asked them to put me BACK in Afib, they don't know how to.

[michealbmillzlynnmass]

Just answered one of my questions. Is Afib hereditary? Yes, it's very possible. An immediate family member of mine took Coumadin for several years. Thanks for answering my question

[johnwalker]

I am 67 years of age I was diagnosed with AFIB in January 2023 after I went to hospital with palpitations, I have kept myself fit most of my life and exercise regularly, I was prescribed a beta blocker to slow my heart which I no longer take as it was causing my heart to beat very slowly which in turn slows the metabolism, I have continued though with anticoagulant medication just in case, but I have had no further episodes of AFIB since my diagnosis 6 months ago, but I have no family history of this I am not overweight, my theory on how I developed this is covid vaccine, I will not take the covid vaccine ever again

[tyanite]

Although Dr. Calkins does not directly state that Afib is a heart problem, he is a Cardiologist. What is wrong with that? Stating that atrial fibrillation (Afib) is a heart problem, specifically when referring to a person with an otherwise healthy heart, is like stating that Parkinson’s disease is a hand problem. That’s clearly wrong. Would Parkinson’s specialists be Orthopedic surgeons? No. Would Parkinson’s specialists operate on the patient’s hands to stop them trembling? No. That’s the problem with healthy heart afib treatment and research by Cardiologists. Afib is actually a problem of the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS), not the heart. Therefore, Afib specialty belongs with ANS specialists. Until the problem is focused upon by the right specialists and researchers, new treatments for the problem will still focus on tinkering with the heart. Catheter ablation and pacemaker insertion damage the heart. That’s barbaric, misconceived, is usually not very effective, and can seriously shorten the lifespan of the patient. That makes zero sense. Moreover, in the for-profit medical system in the United States, being branded with a heart problem is to render a person uninsurable or highly expensive to insure. Doctors and medical billing and coders brand you with heart disease if you have Afib. That’s tantamount to an injustice. Nervous system specialists are starting to focus on Afib as originating in the hypothalamus in the brain, part of the command center for the ANS. Because we are starting to discover the complexity of communication between the heart, organs and brain, especially by way of the vagus nerve, locating the origin of the afib may be very complex. DLC; Albuquerque, NM; 18 January, 2019.

[tamiavants]

I went in last Saturday because of a problem with my leg. Swelling from a blood clot I got in November. They diagnosed me with AFib and for two days my heart was all over the place. The cardiologist was going to shock my heart but sometime in the night my heart went back to a normal rhythm. I was put on Eliquis and Coreg. My paperwork says I cannot drink. Does that mean I can't drink at all? I like to have a glass of wine now and then. I turned 60 in October and everything has gone downhill ever since. It's so depressing.

[olivia-ozqe]

I’m 15, perfectly healthy, my grandma has diabetes and my other grandma has problems with her heart. Sometimes when I lay down to go to bed I have multiple heart palpitations and I can’t go to bed, is it something to worry about?

[jimervin]

I started to get nosebleeds from the blood thinner and so stopped taking the first prescription from a hospital cardiologist. He sent me to an outside cardiologist who gave me a different, cheaper prescription. However, I felt an extreme shortness of breath while walking after the first time I took this prescription and stopped taking it. I soon lost confidence in this doctor for other reasons as well and didn't go back to him. I'd like to get a third opinion from another cardiologist but trying to get an appointment with one takes forever. I've been taking half an aspirin at night with no apparent problems. What do you think of that? Also I take Magnesium and other vitamins, which you didn't mention. Why not?

[kcrnz]

What should have been in this presentation is the effect ALCOHOL has on one's heart. Avoiding all ALCOHOL is the first thing one must do if one has Atrial Fibrillation.

[ginatiani]

Why don't I ever see watchman or other appendage closing devices being used? So many of my afib patients are just on anticoags from my experience on a neuro/stroke unit. And they do end up with unfortunately either stroke or falls due to their age or other factors. I feel as though these surgical interventions for high risk pts really still, 7 years later, needs further advertisement and awareness. :)

[cuoredivita]

I had a heart attack after being on Fleccanide and Bisopherol for A-fib. Why are so many more young people getting A-fib? Can it be EMF's and a lack of sun light? From what I have read there is less A-fib in the undeveloped pacific regions.

[deankay]

I had pneumonia 5 years ago in a cold winter in my garage. The lack of oxygen caused my heart to pump harder going into AFIB. Here I am with severe chronic pain, burning like a torch in my lumbar if I bend or stoop my 6' 3" frame. Plus, pinched ulnar nerves in both elbows, 3rd finger on left hand arthritis and feels broken. Green light on metal right elbow, but nothing. 
 
I am being forced to reduce my hydromorphone 8mg from 5 per day after 3 years, to 4. Now new Dr. required as my solo practice Dr. doesn't have "E-Sript" as to follow state or even Federal laws. So, lets review...I am in pain bad, so I can walk to exercise, can't improve cardio, can't build muscle mass or improve bone density and now, they are going after 5 year old system data to sell Eliquis. 

Hell, after the farm, and 40 years as dealer tech, and not overweight, not light headed, no passing out, no shortness of breath, but lots of pain. Let reduce his pain killers, even the FRA did not work. Possible spinal stenosis but one 1 income, I don't have $45 for MRI, $45 for Cardio Dr., $45 for Orthopedic surgeon to check spinal stenosis, or a new #5 lumbar fusion. 
I had 18 cents in the bank for 7 days in July, $5.60 in August, $3.19 for Sept 2019 left.

My 25 years in the house my wife wanted is where I will die. Yes, hydromorphone 8mg at 5 per day was high, but I was able to function fine over the 3+ years of this dosage. Now, over-night, it is immoral, incorrect or illegal because it works for me? I am not a 5'4" 100 Girl who never had more than a tooth pulled. Been there, done that, got the "TEE" shirt. Come on guys.

My old Dr. told me he now knows when to retire as the LAW becomes official, Jan 1st, 2021 for all to have $3, 500+ software for Electronic Prescriptions of a Controlled Substance or EPCS.
The August issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, the lady Dr. is mad because the MME assignment numbers where ascending, not descending and is upset as each case is different. Sure, a respiratory depressant but I set mile record running, 1/2 mile, 5 mile cross-country in 25 minutes flat. Don't blame me because I have twice the lung capacity of someone who just turned 61 and worked in a cube farm their entire life, because I worked in hot dealer shops lifting, bending, twisting and running up stairs to parts, burning 6-7k calories per day from 7AM to 9PM at night. No, let's use old records and ask him to pay for Dr, Meds, Specialist I can not afford. No wants to live on a credit card, and yes I make way more in "Disability" than most, but my wife raise her 2 kids and our 2 kids and only got $12.50 per hour as a cashier for 13+ years as of 2019. Hell, new employees start at this rate, but quit when they have to work, can't count back change nor put up with comments from contractors and non-english speaking workers who want to split a purchase into cash, card and check...using a shell game.

No one will reply to this one I am sure. Oh yea, how did your back get messed up. Well a guy who owned a shop tried for months to get to work there. Then with sinking concrete on his hill-top shop, lost his court case and found out I could run any tractor made. So 20' X 100' hole, 4 feet deep was dug out. Drain got fixed by plumber, then he pulls me off a stater rebuild to have me run a vertical "Jumping-Jack" earth compactor he had rented. It turned to mud and after 5 hours I quit. Woke up with the feeling of the worst sun-burn on my back ever, but not red. Just pulled 2 of the 4 muscle groups in my lumbar. Now, live nerves trapped in scar tissue. I can't even bend over to shave, wash dishes, or work on benches because they are built for short dudes.
Yep, We are from the Government and we are here to help you! Thanks, but no thanks!
Retired against my will / ASE Master Tech since 1978

[Health]

What are the risks associated with appendage occlusion procedure ?

[alansmithee]

I had never heard of this atrial appendage surgery that he mentioned so I learned something today and I'm going to mention this to my doctor even though I only have paroxysmal A-fib I have figured out that alcohol is the chief trigger for me and it used to be sleep apnea until I got a CPAP machine

[rmksr.]

I am Having Knee Replacement and have A Fib I am currently on Eliquis and I know I have to come off that 3 days before the operation
what is the alternative and what pain meds can I take

[jrm]

I know one of my issues is that I don't get enough sleep.... barely 5 hrs a night

[shirleyblevins]

EKG is far from the best way to find AFIB. Need 24 to 72 hour monitor to pick up in many cases