Atrial Fibrillation

Q: Recently I was admitted to the hospital with a pulse rate of 110. After several EKGs, I was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation (AF), among other problems. What is AF, and can it be cured?

A: Atrial fibrillation, a disorder found in 2.2 million Americans, occurs when the heart’s two small upper chambers (the atria) quiver instead of beating effectively. Blood isn’t pumped completely out of them, so it may pool and clot. If the clot leaves the heart and becomes lodged in an artery of the brain, it can lead to a stroke. The likelihood of developing AF increases with age. Three to 5 percent of people over 65 have AF.

Treatment involves using medications to slow down the rapid heart rate and restore the heart to a normal rhythm. If medication doesn’t improve symptoms, electrical cardioversion may be used to restore normal heart rhythm. AF can be cured in some people by the use of radiofrequency ablation (using radiofrequency energy to destroy abnormal areas of the heart muscle that may trigger AF). In some cases, atrial pacemakers can be implanted to regulate the heart rhythm.

Jennifer H. Mieres, M.D., is director of nuclear cardiology and associate professor of clinical medicine at New York University. She’s also a spokesperson for the American Heart Association.