Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation is the most common significant heart rhythm disorder in the adult population. Characteristic symptoms include irregular heartbeats, an uncomfortable chest tightness, reduced performance, or shortness of breath. A considerable number of individuals may not experience any subjective difficulties, and the arrhythmia is detected entirely by chance on an ECG.

What is atrial fibrillation?

Atrial fibrillation is the most common significant heart rhythm disorder (technically known as an arrhythmia) in the adult population. It occurs in 2-4% of people but is often undiagnosed. Atrial fibrillation is characterized by chaotic activity in the atria of the heart, leading to irregular ventricular contractions, which manifest as irregular heartbeats. During measurement, the heart rate can be abnormally fast (over 100/min) or noticeably slow (below 50/min).

Characteristic symptoms include irregular heartbeats, an uncomfortable chest tightness, reduced performance, or shortness of breath. A considerable number of individuals may not experience any subjective difficulties, and the arrhythmia is detected entirely by chance on an ECG.

What causes atrial fibrillation?

One of the main risk factors for the development of arrhythmia is increasing age and an aging population. It occurs sporadically under 40 years of age (in less than 1%), more frequently observed in elite and endurance athletes (e.g., marathon runners). With each additional year of life, its prevalence in the population increases, especially over the age of 55. At 70, it may affect every tenth person, and at 80, it may affect every fifth person in the population. In the Czech Republic, more than half a million people are known to have this diagnosis. Other risk factors include high blood pressure, diabetes, heart failure, chronic kidney disease, coronary artery disease, obesity, and smoking.

What are the risks of atrial fibrillation?

Atrial fibrillation is one of the main causes of stroke. The reason is a blood clot (thrombus) that forms in the heart during arrhythmia, which can travel from the heart and block distant blood vessels (usually arteries in the brain or lower limbs). Atrial fibrillation can lead to heart failure or a collapse, so it should not be underestimated. In the long term, it increases the risk of dementia, anxiety, depression, and leads to a reduced quality of life.

What is the treatment for atrial fibrillation?

Current therapy is focused on two goals. The first is to eliminate the risk of stroke and other distant vascular occlusions. This is achieved using new so-called direct anticoagulants, which have high patient comfort and acceptable safety compared to the previously used warfarin. The second goal is to manage arrhythmia symptoms using medications (called antiarrhythmics) or by attempting to eliminate it with a heart procedure – catheter ablation.

What should I do if I am diagnosed with atrial fibrillation?

Any patient who is detected to have atrial fibrillation should report the finding to their doctor as soon as possible. Based on calculated risk, the necessity of taking anticoagulant medications (to prevent stroke) is assessed, and in cooperation with a specialist cardiologist, an individual treatment strategy is chosen.

If you feel unwell in any way, consider consulting a doctor immediately, regardless of the MyKARDI measurement results. An ECG recording from the chest strap cannot detect a myocardial infarction or generally deteriorating blood supply to the heart. A negative finding does not indicate the reason for any chest pain.

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