by Leah Eisenstadt, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard Credit: Susanna Hamilton, Broad Communications Two studies led by researchers at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard and Mass General Brigham have greatly expanded the number of known genetic variants that boost the risk for atrial fibrillation (AF), a common heart condition marked by an irregular...
Tag: <span>Atrial fibrillation</span>
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Are We Inflating the Success Rate of AF Ablation?
John M. Mandrola, MD DISCLOSURES | February 26, 2025 217 Try this experiment. The next time you admit a patient for rapid tachycardia a week after an atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation, tell him the arrhythmia doesn’t count because it occurred during the “blanking period.” Since the inception of AF ablation, electrophysiologists have considered it normal to exclude episodes of...
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Anti-clotting drug significantly reduces bleeding events in patients with atrial fibrillation, clinical trial shows
by Mass General Brigham Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Patients with atrial fibrillation are typically prescribed an anticoagulant, or blood thinner, to reduce the risk of stroke, but many may discontinue them or never receive a prescription due to concerns of increased risk of bleeding complications. Researchers from Mass General Brigham evaluated a drug that represents a...
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NT-proBNP May Predict Atrial Fibrillation Risk Early
Edited by Javed Choudhury December 13, 2024 1302 Added to Email Alert TOPLINE: Elevated levels of N-terminal pro–B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), a key biomarker for diagnosing heart failure, show a nearly fourfold increased risk for atrial fibrillation (AF) in at-risk individuals. The utility of this biomarker was particularly evident in older adults and when serum-based...
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Research suggests coffee may protect against cognitive decline in people with atrial fibrillation
by American Heart Association Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Drinking multiple cups of coffee a day may help prevent cognitive decline in people with atrial fibrillation (AFib or AF), according to new research published in the Journal of the American Heart Association. “Many myths are around, but our study found no reason to discourage or forbid a patient with AFib...
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Rising outdoor temperatures tied to higher risk for atrial fibrillation
by Lori Solomon There is a dose-response relationship between rising outdoor temperatures and increased atrial fibrillation (AF) events, according to a study presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2024, held from Nov. 16 to 18 in Chicago. Barrak Alahmad, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., from Harvard University in Boston, and colleagues examined the role of...
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The Rising Tide of Atrial Fibrillation: Is Primary Care Ready?
The incidence of atrial fibrillation (AF) is on the rise, and recent joint guidelines from the American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) stress the role of primary care clinicians in prevention and management. One in three White and one in five Black Americans will develop AF in their lifetime, and the projected number of individuals diagnosed with AF...
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What Are the Causes and Triggers of Atrial Fibrillation?
Written by Sarah Pozniak, MD | Reviewed by Patricia Pinto-Garcia, MD, MPH Updated on January 12, 2024print_outlinedemail_outlined Key takeaways: sudok1/iStock via Getty Images Plus Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is a type of abnormal heart rhythm (arrhythmia). In fact, it’s the most common type of treated abnormal heart rhythm in the United States. Up to 6 million people in the U.S. have it. AFib happens when...
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Atrial fibrillation estimated to be three times more common than previously thought
September 11, 2024 by University of California, San Francisco Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public DomainAtrial fibrillation, a rapid, irregular heart beat that can lead to stroke or sudden death, is three times more common than previously thought, affecting nearly 5% of the population, or 10.5 million U.S. adults, according to new estimates from UC San Francisco. A-Fib,...
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Biomarkers may predict future sinus rhythm in patients with atrial fibrillation
September 2, 2024 by Kompetenznetz Vorhofflimmern e.V. (AFNET) Graphical Abstract. Credit: European Heart Journal (2024). DOI: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehae611Low concentrations of three selected biomarkers in the blood of patients with atrial fibrillation identify patients with a high chance of attaining sinus rhythm. This is the main result of this analysis of the EAST—AFNET 4 biomolecule study. The...