Atrial fibrillation, Missing beats

Atrial fibrillation is a condition that changes the way the heart rhythm is controlled. Basically, it causes the upper chambers of the heart (atria) to beat rapidly and in an uncontrolled manner (fibrillation).

 In addition to age, other commonly associated factors include high blood pressure, heart valve disease, thyroid problems and sleep apnea.

The mainstay of treatment is use of anti-arrhythmic drugs. Some patients may need emergency treatment to get the heart back into normal rhythm. This may involve cardioversion (or DC shock) or intravenous drugs. There are other interventional procedures like 3D mapping guided radiofrequency catheter ablation and radiofrequency catheter ablation.

New options

Antiarrhythmic drugs are effective in only around 50 per cent of patients and some drugs have considerable side effects if continued for long. But technological advances have ensured the availability of some very effective and useful alternatives. Radiofrequency catheter ablation therapy is superior to anti-arrhythmic drug therapy especially in non-valvular AF without any long-term side effects.

With age, the human body tends to experience many changes; often for the worse. Therefore it is always better to diagnose and treat these conditions early. This clearly underlines the importance of regular monitoring and check ups. For rhythm disorders like atrial fibrillation this may just be your best bet.