THE ESSENTIAL
- Atrial (or atrial) fibrillation is a heart rhythm disorder that causes the heart to race and beat irregularly.
- About 10% of strokes are caused by this arrhythmia, according to the cardiologist.
In France, the incidence and prevalence of atrial (or auricular) fibrillation are growing rapidly, in line with the aging of the population. Diagnosis, risks, treatments… Cardiologist Dr Xavier Waintraub from the Pitié Salpêtrière hospital explains everything to us.
What is atrial fibrillation?
“Atrial fibrillation is an arrhythmia, which is when the heart rate is abnormal. It results in an irregular pulse because the heart chamber which controls the heart rate is going to be subject to modifications, to an abnormal acceleration which creates this rapid and irregular rhythm.
Why is it important to know about this disease?
“It’s important because it’s a disease that we hear very little about but which sometimes has dreadful consequences. The worst is the cerebral vascular accident (AVC) which can leave people hemiplegic or with a paralysis or a quite significant deficit. About 10% of strokes are thought to be related to atrial fibrillation.”
How can this heart condition be diagnosed?
“The examinations are often the result of a consultation. Patients may experience symptoms: malaise, dizziness, shortness of breath, palpitations, atypical chest pain. All this invites to consult to do a screening which consists in managing to record the electrocardiogram, therefore the electrical signal of the heart, at the time of the episode to validate the diagnosis.
How can atrial fibrillation be treated?
“Fibrillation will be treated with the 2 aspects mentioned: both the symptoms to control and allow people to be more serene and less embarrassed; and especially in order to take into account the risk of having a stroke by introducing anticoagulant treatment to those most at risk. This thins the blood and prevents it from clotting when the atrium is faster.”
“To control the symptoms and these accesses of irregular rhythm there is either a drug treatment, or an intervention by percutaneous way passing by the vessels to go cauterize the zones which generate this arrhythmia. It is not a surgery strictly speaking: we pass through the veins with catheters which are very small pipes which allow to go punctually into the heart without opening the rib cage. Most of the time, the procedure lasts one to two hours under general anesthesia, and the recovery time is quite short, from 15 days to 3 weeks, with 80 to 90% success.
What advice for people with atrial fibrillation?
“I recommend going to see a cardiologist who can provide information because when patients are well informed, they tolerate treatment better. And then we have a lot of prevention strategies: try to do regular physical activity, check your blood pressure with your doctor, lose a little weight, reduce your alcohol consumption a little… All of this helps to minimize the risk of seizures and contributes to better arrhythmia control.”
You can watch the full interview in pictures here: