Afib Prevention and Staying Heart Healthy

While atrial fibrillation, known as AFib, is the most common heart rhythm abnormality, addressing the causes of wear and tear on the heart can prevent the condition.

Risk factors

Since AFib is caused by wear and tear on the heart, several chronic diseases can cause a patient to become diagnosed with AFib. Some risk factors patients can’t do anything about, like a family history of AFib or a personal history of stroke.

However, some risk factors, if improved, can actually reduce the risk of AFib or prevent it in the first place. Those risk factors include:

Sleep apnea

Since sleep apnea limits the body’s oxygen intake during sleep, it can cause the heart to work harder. If you suspect you have sleep apnea, talk to your primary care provider about a sleep study at MetroHealth’s Center for Sleep Medicine.

Obesity

Obesity is a chronic disease that causes your heart to work harder and encourages inflammation in your body.MetroHealth’s Weight Loss Surgery & Weight Management Center can help patients find medical treatments for obesity.

Alcohol use

According to studies from the American College of Cardiology, alcohol use can have an immediate effect on AFib risk. If you’re having trouble limiting your alcohol use, MetroHealth can help.

Diabetes

Since diabetes can cause inflammation in your blood vessels and swings in blood sugar levels, it can also cause the type of heart changes that cause AFib. MetroHealth provides a wide range of diabetes management treatments and resources.

High blood pressure

High blood pressure causes blood to exert strain on artery walls, leading to AFib. Be sure to talk to your provider about how you can manage your high blood pressure.

Treatment

At our Atrial Fibrillation Center, patients receive a complete evaluation, including an assessment of stroke risk. To treat AFib, your cardiologist may recommend blood thinners, other medication, or ablation—scarring heart tissue with heat to block abnormal symptoms. As an alternative to blood thinners, devices such as Lariat, AtriClip and Watchman can help. MetroHealth is the only hospital in Northeast Ohio that offers all three and received the distinguished American Heart Association’s Get-With-The-Guidelines Gold Award for atrial fibrillation treatment.

“At MetroHealth, we treat the most complex and difficult cases of atrial fibrillation,” says Dr. Ziv. “Our pioneering techniques for ablation to treat persistent AFib can help people achieve healthier outcomes.”

While some people who have AFib don’t experience symptoms, there are some common signs of AFib. Learn more in our Simply Well blog on AFib Symptoms.

An Important Message from Dr. Ziv.