With the first national estimate in 20 years, researchers at U.C. San Francisco report that 10.5 million adults in the U.S. are affected by atrial fibrillation.

Atrial fibrillation is a type of heart arrythmia, a fast and irregular heartbeat that can cause stroke or sudden death.

Earlier projections had estimated that by this year, 3.3 million U.S. adults would have atrial fibrillation, but those estimates had not been updated in more than 20 years.

U.C. San Francisco investigators reviewed the medical records of nearly 30 million adult patients who received some form of acute or procedural care in California between 2005 and 2019 to come up with the new estimate, which is three times the last estimate.

During the study timeframe, patients with atrial fibrillation skewed younger, were less likely to be female, and more likely to have hypertension and diabetes.

Studies have shown that people with atrial fibrillation are up to five times more likely to have a stroke. "This Serious Heart Condition Now Affects Over 10 Million U.S. Adults, Startling New Study Reveals" scitechdaily.com (Sept. 14, 2024).

Commentary

According to the Mayo Clinic, atrial fibrillation is an irregular and often very rapid heart rhythm. This type of arrhythmia can lead to blood clots n the heart, increasing risk of stroke, heart failure, and other heart-related complications.

For many people, atrial fibrillation can have no symptoms. For others, it may cause a fast, pounding heartbeat, shortness of breath or light-headedness. Other symptoms of atrial fibrillation may include:

• A fast fluttering or pounding heartbeat, called palpitations
• Chest pain
• Dizziness
• Fatigue
• Lightheadedness
• Reduced ability to exercise
• Shortness of breath
• Weakness

Healthy lifestyle choices can reduce the risk of atrial fibrillation or other heart diseases:

• Control high blood pressure
• Don't smoke or use tobacco
• Eat a diet low in salt and saturated fat
• Exercise at least thirty minutes a day, unless advised against it by your health care team
• Get good sleep
• Maintain a healthy weight
• Reduce and manage stress

The appearance of symptoms of atrial fibrillation should be met with an appointment for a health checkup. Patients may be referred to a cardiologist for further diagnosis. "Atrial fibrillation" mayoclinic.org (Mar. 08, 2024).

Here is some additional general information about heart attacks:

• Heart attacks happen most often as a result of coronary heart disease (CHD), also called coronary artery disease.
• A heart attack is when the flow of oxygen-rich blood to a section of heart muscle suddenly becomes blocked, and that section cannot get oxygen. If blood flow is not restored quickly, a section of heart muscle begins to die from lack of oxygen.
• Heart attacks are a leading killer of both men and women in the U.S.
• More women than men die of CHD. One challenge is some heart disease symptoms in women differ from those men typically experienced by men.
• In men, heart attacks may cause pressure or squeezing in the chest or indigestion. It can also cause shoulder, arm, neck, jaw, or back pain.
• In women, the most common heart attack symptom is chest pain, pressure, or discomfort, but the pain is not always severe or even the most prominent symptom. Women are more likely to have symptoms unrelated to chest pain, such as:
  • Neck, jaw, shoulder, upper back or abdominal discomfort
  • Shortness of breath
  • Right arm pain
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Sweating
  • Lightheadedness or dizziness
  • Unusual fatigue
     
• Women's symptoms may occur more often when they are resting or even sleeping, and can be triggered by mental stress.
• Because women downplay symptoms or have atypical signs, they often are seen in emergency rooms after heart damage has already occurred.
• If you think you or someone near you is having a heart attack, call 911 or for emergency medical help immediately. Avoid driving yourself or another to the emergency room unless you have no other options.