Atrial fibrillation
Irregular pulse or irregular heartbeat is known as atrial fibrillation or AF.
What is atrial fibrillation?
When a person has atrial fibrillation (AF), the electrical signals near the heart’s natural pacemaker become erratic, causing the heart rhythm to become irregular and it may beat faster than normal.
AF also prevents the two smaller chambers of the heart – the atria – from contracting properly. This creates a risk of blood clots forming within this part of the heart.
There are three types of AF:
- Paroxysmal AF - is intermittent and comes and goes. Episodes can last for minutes, hours or days but usually no longer that one week.
- Persistent AF - episodes last longer than a week at a time.
- Long-standing persistent or permanent AF - ongoing for longer than a year.
Controlling the risk
Ask your doctor for a regular check as well as their advice on lifestyle changes you could make to reduce your risk. This could include:
- Being smoke free
- Sitting less, moving more
- Keeping alcohol and caffeine intake low
- Eating mostly fresh, unprocessed foods
- Managing stress levels
- Getting enough sleep
What are the symptoms?
What are the symptoms?
Occasionally people with AF are aware that their heartbeat feels irregular or fast. However, you can have the condition and not notice any symptoms. This is called asymptomatic AF.
Who can have atrial fibrillation?
Who can have atrial fibrillation?
In Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika people have a higher prevalence of AF, and at a younger age, than other ethnicities.
Anyone of any age can have AF but it is a much more common condition in older people.
High blood pressure, other heart conditions, and excessive alcohol intake increase the chance of developing AF. Occasionally AF can occur temporarily as a result of another illness such as pneumonia or thyroid disease, which can be treated.
Atrial fibrillation and stroke
Atrial fibrillation and stroke
AF is a major risk factor for stroke.
People with AF are 5 times more likely to have a stroke than those who do not. This is because the atria may not be squeezing strongly enough to push all the blood into the ventricles (lower chambers) and the blood can then pool in the atria and form clots. A clot may then travel to the brain and cause a stroke.
How is atrial fibrillation diagnosed?
How is atrial fibrillation diagnosed?
If you are concerned that you or someone in your family may have AF, it is important to discuss this with your doctor. AF is usually diagnosed with electrocardiogram (ECG) technologies and by echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart).
Rapid developments in mobile phone technologies have meant that mobile devices can now be used to detect arrythmias (AF), such as FibriCheck. The Stroke Foundation also offers free heart rhythm checks during our Blood Pressure Check Van Visits out in public across Aotearoa.
How is atrial fibrillation treated?
How is atrial fibrillation treated?
Medication
You may need to take medication to manage your AF. There are two types of medication which are used – anticoagulants (to prevent blood clots forming and prevent stroke) and anti-arrhythmic products) to regulate the heartbeat.
Medical and surgical procedures
There are also procedures that are used to treat AF, including cardioversion (which is used to restore the heart to its normal rhythm) and ablation (which uses a catheter to destroy – or ablate – the part of the heart’s electrical system which is causing the abnormal rhythm).