Mayo Clinic Minute: Managing atrial fibrillation

A normal heart rhythm should beat like a steady drum. Atrial fibrillation is like a chaotic drumbeat. That can put patients at greater risk of blood clots, heart failure and stroke. There are many causes, such as high blood pressure, diabetes or even sleep apnea. Often patients are unaware they have atrial fibrillation. Treatment is individualized for each patient and may include medication; administering an electrical shock to the heart; or a procedure called catheter ablation, which scars the heart tissue that's creating erratic signals.

Information in this post was accurate at the time of its posting. Due to the fluid nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, scientific understanding, along with guidelines and recommendations, may have changed since the original publication date.
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