24 Facts About Atrial fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation is an abnormal heart rhythm characterized by rapid and irregular beating of the atrial chambers of the heart.

Atrial fibrillation is associated with an increased risk of heart failure, dementia, and stroke.

Atrial fibrillation is the most common serious abnormal heart rhythm and, as of 2020, affects more than 33 million people worldwide.

Many of the symptoms associated with uncontrolled atrial fibrillation are a manifestation of congestive heart failure due to the reduced cardiac output.

Congenital heart disease is a strong risk factor for developing atrial fibrillation—a 20-year-old adult with congenital heart disease has a comparable lifetime risk of developing atrial fibrillation when compared to a 55-year-old adult with no history of congenital heart disease.

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The aforementioned structural changes increase the risk of developing atrial fibrillation when paired with the harmful changes in how the left atrium conducts electricity.

Medications that are commonly associated with an increased risk of developing atrial fibrillation include dobutamine and the chemotherapy agent cisplatin.

Prolonged episodes of atrial fibrillation have been shown to correlate with prolongation of the sinus node recovery time; this suggests that dysfunction of the SA node is progressive with prolonged episodes of atrial fibrillation.

Evaluation of atrial fibrillation involves a determination of the cause of the arrhythmia, and classification of the arrhythmia.

Atrial fibrillation is diagnosed on an electrocardiogram, an investigation performed routinely whenever an irregular heartbeat is suspected.

In general, a chest X-ray is performed only if a pulmonary cause of atrial fibrillation is suggested, or if other cardiac conditions are suspected .

Some individuals with atrial fibrillation do well with normal activity but develop shortness of breath with exertion.

Prevention of atrial fibrillation focuses primarily on preventing or controlling its risk factors.

Guideline-recommended lifestyle and medical interventions are recommended for people with atrial fibrillation and coexisting conditions such as hyperlipidemia, diabetes mellitus, or hypertension without specific blood sugar or blood pressure targets for people with atrial fibrillation.

Evidence increasingly suggests that atrial fibrillation is independently associated with a higher risk of developing dementia.

Atrial fibrillation has been independently associated with a higher risk of developing cognitive impairment, vascular dementia, and Alzheimer disease and with elevated levels of neurofilament light chain in blood, a biomarker indicating neuroaxonal injury.

Atrial fibrillation is the most common arrhythmia and affects more than 33 million people worldwide.

Atrial fibrillation is more common in men than in women when reviewed in European and North American populations.

Atrial fibrillation is an uncommon condition in children but sometimes occurs in association with certain inherited and acquired conditions.

Diagnosis of atrial fibrillation requires measurement of the electrical activity of the heart, atrial fibrillation was not truly described until 1874, when Edme Felix Alfred Vulpian observed the irregular atrial electrical behavior that he termed "fremissement fibrillaire" in dog hearts.

Atrial fibrillation occurs in other animals, including cats, dogs, and horses.

Cats rarely develop atrial fibrillation but appear to have a higher risk of thromboembolic complications than dogs.

Cats and dogs with atrial fibrillation often have underlying structural heart disease that predisposes them to the condition.

Horses that develop atrial fibrillation often have minimal or no underlying heart disease, and the presence of atrial fibrillation in horses can adversely affect physical performance.