Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial Fibrillation

Intro:

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is an abnormal rhythm of the heart. The heart muscle cells contract (beats) and pumps the blood with a regular rhythm. During AF, the sinus rate 350 to 600 beats per minute, faster than the normal sinus rate (60 to 100 beats per minute). Fortunately, the AV node cannot conduct all of these impulses which results in blood pumping out with rapid or irregular (abnormal) rhythm. Atrial fibrillation is more common in men than women, who are more than 65 years of age. 

Types: there are three types

1. Lone atrial fibrillation (LAF)
2. Nonvalvular AF
3. Secondary AF

Causes:

Atrial fibrillation increases in people who have underlying heart disease, the common causes are:

• Hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid)
• Alcohol use (holiday heart)
• Pulmonary embolism (a blood clot in the lungs)
• Pneumonia
• Heart valve disease: This can be something you are born with or be caused by infection or degeneration/calcification of valves with age.
• Enlargement of the left ventricle walls (left ventricular hypertrophy).
• Coronary heart disease: This results from atherosclerosis, deposits of fatty material inside the arteries that cause blockage or narrowing of the arteries.
• High blood pressure (hypertension).
• Cardiomyopathy (disease of the heart muscle) leading to congestive heart failure.
• Sick sinus syndrome (improper production of electrical impulses because of malfunction of the SA node).
• Pericarditis (inflammation of the sac surrounding the heart).