Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) Support Group
Atrial fibrillation (AF or afib) is an abnormal heart rhythm (cardiac arrhythmia) which involves the two small, upper heart chambers (the atria). Heart beats in a normal heart begin after electricity generated in the atria by the sinoatrial node spread through the heart and cause contraction of the heart muscle and pumping of blood.
... especially if you're a woman. New studies have shown,
"The researchers said that women with atrial fibrillation are twice as likely to suffer a stroke, as compared to men with the same condition. The women with the condition are also more likely to die from a heart condition, 55 percent more likely to suffer a heart attack, 16 percent more likely to develop heart failure and 12 percent more likely to die from any cause, when compared to men."
http://www.universityherald.com/articles/27964/20160120/atrial-fibrillation-a-bigger-threat-to-women.htm
Some of the articles I've read also say that women experience afib more profoundly-- with faster heart rates.
This new research is really scary for me, because I started afib in my 40's.. and my symptoms are VERY pronounced. My worst attack had my heart rate at 230 bpm. I had one Monday night-- woke me out of deep sleep with my heart pounding at 140 bpm.
Also interesting is that nobody in my entire family has had a heart attack-- yet my DNA test showed I was at major risk for heart disease. I also have a crease on my ears-- which is an indicator of heart problems.
At my last visit with my EP-- she said that afib is progressive and will get worse. (oh boy, something to look forward to!) and that I'm in afib less than 1 percent of the time.. but once it progresses to 30-percent of the time, we must do something because it begins harming the heart.
Oh goodie. My future looks so bright. Not.
"The researchers said that women with atrial fibrillation are twice as likely to suffer a stroke, as compared to men with the same condition. The women with the condition are also more likely to die from a heart condition, 55 percent more likely to suffer a heart attack, 16 percent more likely to develop heart failure and 12 percent more likely to die from any cause, when compared to men."
http://www.universityherald.com/articles/27964/20160120/atrial-fibrillation-a-bigger-threat-to-women.htm
Some of the articles I've read also say that women experience afib more profoundly-- with faster heart rates.
This new research is really scary for me, because I started afib in my 40's.. and my symptoms are VERY pronounced. My worst attack had my heart rate at 230 bpm. I had one Monday night-- woke me out of deep sleep with my heart pounding at 140 bpm.
Also interesting is that nobody in my entire family has had a heart attack-- yet my DNA test showed I was at major risk for heart disease. I also have a crease on my ears-- which is an indicator of heart problems.
At my last visit with my EP-- she said that afib is progressive and will get worse. (oh boy, something to look forward to!) and that I'm in afib less than 1 percent of the time.. but once it progresses to 30-percent of the time, we must do something because it begins harming the heart.
Oh goodie. My future looks so bright. Not.
I'm not sure how old you are now, but if you're only in afib 1% of the time, you're doing pretty good. You might not ever progress into persistent or permanent afib.
If you know that you are predisposed to heart disease in a general sense, you need to address that. Hopefully you are.
Beyond that, the trick to living with afib is to make the decision to *live* with it. Don't look at it as a death sentence, and don't let a storm cloud hover over your head constantly.
We're here on this earth for a very short time. Worrying about something never changed the outcome for anyone, ever. Something will either happen, or it won't. When you have afib, you just have to mitigate the risks (in this case, stroke) as much as you can, and go on living.
Your future is as bright as you perceive it to be.
Two things I would like to say to you.
1- My father as far as I knew was a healthy man who still suddenly died of a stroke at 70. He never showed any signs of any PVCs, PACs or afib....like no arrhythmias that I ever heard of but still died from what us afibers dread the most.
On the other hand, my mother is 80 and she has lived with all sorts of arrhythmias as far as I can remember...PAC/PVC, flutter, afib...you name it she had it (no ablations and just recently started on sotalol and she feels so much better she sais). She has been diagnosed with chronic anxiety a long time ago and have been on valium as far as I can remember. I recall even as a young lad she was always complaining about her heart beating funny and chanting to us "don't smoke or you will end up sick like me". Even now when her doctor tells her she is still healthy, she don't believe her and still cant skip her sleeping pills one single night and constantly worry about everything..........I think gals just live longer than boys you know.
2- A lot of people die in this world with out any warnings. Although you have been cursed with afib, you also have been bless with a type of illness that is not a sudden killer or a fast killer i.g. like cancer or strokes. The simple fact that you know what you have, have been to doctors and that it can be managed in many ways i.g. rate control, ablation, blood thinners and other medication is very encouraging.....and manageable.
Remember that just knowing is half the battle.
Scooby