A HEART TO HEART ABOUT ATRIAL FIBRILLATION (AFIB)
September is Afib Awareness Month. Now is the time for a Heart to Heart on treating Atrial Fibrillation, as well as the importance of knowing the symptoms, causes and treatments. Mellanie True Hills and Dr. John Day join us with more information and to help raise awareness.
Atrial Fibrillation (also called AFIB or AF) is a quivering or irregular heartbeat (Arrhythmia) that can lead to blood clots, stroke, heart failure and other heart-related complications.
According to the America Heart Association, people who have atrial fibrillation are five times more likely to have a stroke than people who do not have AF.
What you should know:
· Afib or AF (Atrial Fibrillation) affects 3 million Americans.
· With Afib, the heart beats irregularly or rapidly, increasing the risk of stroke, heart failure and other complications.
· Patient’s suffering from Afib often feel like their heart is racing or feel that they are overly tired and can’t do the activities they used to do.
· Heredity, age and extreme athleticism (e.g., marathon running) can be factors of Afib.
· Often, Afib is caused by heart tissue firing abnormal electrical impulses, leading to irregular heartbeats.
· Unlike medication, ablation procedures can address the condition’s underlying cause.
· Cardiac mapping quickly creates an automated highly detailed 3-D map of the heart to help physicians more effectively diagnose a wide range of arrhythmias during ablation treatments.
About: Mellanie True Hills started Afib Awareness Month as the CEO of StopAfib.org, the most visited heart arrhythmia site in the world. She is a patient whose Afib is now under control. She has appeared in front of congress and has made many TV appearances, including on Newsweek, PBS, Fox, ABC, NBC, and CBS to educate patients and families about Afib.
About: Dr. John Day specializes in the treatment of atrial fibrillation. He was the first physician in the U.S. to use the EnSite Precision cardiac mapping system. Dr. Day has appeared as a health expert on all of the major television networks and currently has a weekly TV segment in Utah. He is the 2017-2020 Utah Governor of the American College of Cardiology.
This interview is provided by Abbott
Related links: Stop Afib