A new study just presented at the American College of Cardiology scientific sessions found psoriasis to be a significant and independent risk factor for atrial fibrillation (AF) and a stroke risk factor, too. Mild psoriasis increases afib risk by 22% while moderate-to-severe psoriasis raises afib risk by 51%. This chronic inflammatory condition also raises other …
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Important new research from the STOP AF Study of people with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) shows a type of catheter ablation called cryoablation worked better than drugs to control arrhythmias. One year after treatment, 69.9% of people treated with cryoablation had no episodes of afib compared to 7.3% of those who were treated with anti-arrhythmic …
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We just received the info below, which might be of interest to anyone with afib who is in Philadelphia, Dallas or Chicago... I have a client who would like to interview 45 people in Philadelphia, Dallas and Chicago who have been diagnosed with Atrial Fibrillation, in mid March. These in-person interviews will last for no …
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On September 16, 2009, the AF StatTM coalition launched two major reports, the AF Stat Call to Action for Atrial Fibrillation and the Avalere Health report Medicare and Atrial Fibrillation: Consequences in Costs and Care. The videos from that webcast are now available for viewing online. Learn more about AF Stat and access the webcast: …
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A newly published study shows obesity is a major risk factor for left atrial enlargement (LAE), a condition in which the left upper chamber of the heart is oversized. That's important to people who are concerned about atrial fibrillation (AF) because LAE is a risk factor for afib, stroke and death. Read more: Obesity Raises …
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This very important story may change how afib patients and their doctors decide if they should be on anticoagulant medications (blood thinners), such as Coumadin or warfarin. The CHADS2 scoring system is how doctors now decide who should be on Coumadin or warfarin to avoid strokes, but a newly-published study adds new stroke risk factors …
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RECORD AF registry findings were presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions. This registry looked at how newly-diagnosed afib patients were being managed in the real world. These results differed from previously-reported research, such as the AFFIRM (Atrial Fibrillation Follow-up Investigation of Rhythm Management) trial. In the real world, more cardiologists chose rhythm drugs …
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A new study reports that blood levels of a protein hormone called N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) predicts new atrial fibrillation, regardless of other afib risk factors. Those with the highest levels were four times as likely to develop afib as those with the lowest levels. In the study, elevated levels of NT-proBNP occurred as …
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Sleep apnea, a sleep disorder that disrupts breathing during sleep, is believed to be linked to atrial fibrillation (AF) but until now, we didn’t know if apnea could actually trigger arrhythmias like afib. Now a new study shows the odds of having an abnormal heartbeat are 18 times higher immediately after an apnea episode, compared …
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Research shows the sooner an atrial fibrillation surgical procedure is done, the less likely afib is to recur. People in permanent atrial fibrillation who underwent surgery for other heart diseases and had a left atrial ablation procedure for AF at the same time were more likely to be afib-free if the procedure was done within …
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