Posted on 04/30/2024 1:12:32 PM PDT by Red Badger
Examining long-term outcomes for people with atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common heart rhythm disorder, a new study found that 55% survived to 10 years. The researchers say AF needs to be treated as a chronic illness with serious long-term consequences. AF, or AFib, and its close medical cousin, atrial flutter, are associated with complications such as stroke, heart failure, and heart attack. While there’s an understandable focus on treating these conditions to prevent acute complications, less research has looked at what’s happening in the long term.
Now, a study led by researchers from the University of Queensland’s (UQ) Faculty of Medicine examined clinical outcomes up to 10 years after an acute hospital admission for AF or atrial flutter. The findings are rather grim.
“AF is the most common heart rhythm disorder and the leading cause of heart-related hospitalizations globally, causing symptoms like palpitations, dizziness, and chest pain,” said Linh Ngo, the study’s lead and corresponding author. “The disorder is closely associated with stroke, but we know much less about the risk of recurrent hospitalizations and other consequences such as heart failure or death.”
The researchers looked at hospital admissions across Australia and New Zealand between 2008 and 2017 for 260,492 adults (49.6% female). AF or atrial flutter was the primary diagnosis. The primary outcome was death from all causes, including deaths that occurred in the community. Secondary outcomes were loss in life expectancy attributable to AF or flutter, associated outcomes (e.g., stroke, heart failure, heart attack) linked to AF or flutter, re-hospitalizations for AF or flutter, and whether the patient was treated by catheter ablation or cardioversion.
Catheter ablation, or cardiac ablation, involves guiding a thin, flexible tube (catheter) to the heart via a blood vessel.
(Excerpt) Read more at newatlas.com ...
Why did you change the headline title? That’s a FR no-no.
This article doesn’t quickly get to the beneficial point, which is that these people are only dying because they didn’t get a therapy (weight loss, exercise, surgery, etc.) that would have ended the condition for them.
The title sort of sucks, but the way to fix it all is in there.
Folks, if you have this condition, get it treated, in some permanent way, before you have a likely earlier death than you needed to have.
The article lacks significant information. What were the ages at the first occurrence?
If participants were 85, then I would suggest 10 years would be a significant achievement.
I recently learned that my father got a pacemaker 20 years ago and it was just replaced at age 92 for the second time.
Likewise, another friend had heart surgery about 10 years ago and passed away three years ago at age 89. He was relatively healthy and active until the end.
Even then, it isn’t a death sentence.
My father had afib for a a good 12 years before he passed.
He became more of a couch potato as he went on and didn’t lose weight and did not get a pacemaker.
Sometimes I wonder if 75% of all people over 40 have had an afib episode, or two, or three, or more, but their heart wasn’t monitored when it happened, so no one knows it actually happened, so it’s like it never happened and they can’t be said to have afib.
I had a cryogenic ablation 10 years ago. It was a miracle to me. I was in and out of the hospital in a day and a week later I was back at the gym. No problem
The biggest risk with ablations is the quality of the surgeons doing the work. If you get a guy who has been doing them every day for a couple years—you’re probably in safe hands.
Its the newbies that kill. You don’t want to be on some guy’s learning curve.
Yep.
I was admitted last year for Afib. One Cardioversion treatment synced my heart back to normal rhythm where it has been since.
But if I quit Freeping at y’all in 9 years; you’ll know why.
I have been dealing with AFIB for over 33 years. I wish they had the catheter ablation or hybrid surgical catheter ablations 33 years ago. I have had each over the last 4 years and the change is significant.
If you are ever diagnosed with AFIB, demand an electrophysiologist. I did not meet mine until 7 years ago. They are the game changers when it involves AFIB!!
https://stanfordhealthcare.org/medical-treatments/h/hybrid-surgical-catheter-ablation.html
Maze procedure
catheter ablation is no sure thing to fix the AF either.
it has varying results
Another known side effect of the jabs.
I’ve had A Fib for 22 years. Still full of piss and vinegar at 72. I figure my motorcycle will kill me before my heart does.
Yes, I’ve been successfully treated for the 22 years. I did not ignore the problem. And, I did not get the Jab which causes blood clots and kills people like me.
I am 77 years old, had A-fib all my life. Mitral valve replacement in 1990, heart stent in 2006. They then wanted to “kill” my heart, and restart it. I said NO!
Still doing well on warfarin for the heart valve and stent.
BKMRK.
afib occurs when the atria (upper heart chambers) quit beating, but instead simply quiver ... when that occurs one loses 20% of their pumping power, the ventricles beat randomly and eradically, and the changes of stroke, heart failure, and dementia goes through the roof ...
daily anti-arrhythmic medications (most of which are VERY dangerous drugs with a narrow therapeutic window) can often keep one in normal sinus rhythm for some period of time until they stop working
the only permanent fix for afib is ablation via catheter, with catheter cryoablation being superior to catheter microwave point burner, OR having a Cox maze IV procedure on the left atrium whilst open heart surgery is being performed for some other reason
a nasty alternative is to put people permanently on anti-coagulants and leave them permanently in afib ... this will help to to prevent strokes, but does nothing to prevent heart failure and dementia ... [note that joe biden has been in permanent afib for decades and fetterman got his stroke because he was in permanent afib WITHOUT anticoagulants]
friends do not let friends remain in permanent afib!
Good post. I am in chronic afib and was treated with ablation (microwave) for the first time at age 65. This is because medicare covers this so the docs decided my case was increasing in severity when I got on medicare. Prior to this I was treated witt blood pressure drugs that slowed the heart rate. I am still on them too.
As an aside, I was diagnosed with sleep apnea and likely had it throughout this time period. Now with SA treatment, everything is improving. The afib has stayed in a non-critical state and I can swim and golf for exercise. The respiration problem did get severe enough that I retired from teaching — too much walking, too out of breath.
I had four attempts to restore sinus rhythm and they all failed. Likely due to the respiration problem at night. (My opinion, but the docs have not disagreed).
The last procedure was a mini maze and I asked for a clamp on the Left Atrial Appendage because it was a contributor to stroke. The clamp is still in place and — no stroke so far.
Blood thiners resulted in brain subdural hematoma (2 times) so that is why the clamp was used.
Bottom line, check for other problems that contribute to afib, yes, I was overweight and had diabetes. They may all have been related to SA.
My cardio only wants to see me once a year, unless I develop problems and want to see him sooner. I am now 78 and so I have made it past the ten year mark, and take each day one at a time.
72y/o, 12 years and counting. I’m still very active. Lift twice a week, do aerobics a couple of times a week. Still garden and mow my lawn.
i have had severe obstructive sleep apnea for a quarter of a century, but have been using CPAP successfully this whole time ...
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