What to know about atrial fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is a common type of heart rhythm disorder where the heart doesn’t beat efficiently. This makes the heart unable to pump enough blood out to the body with each heartbeat. People with AFib are at a higher risk of stroke — about one in seven strokes are AFib related — due to clots that can form in the upper chambers of the heart.

Key risk factors for stroke in people with atrial fibrillation include:

• High blood pressure

• Prior history of stroke

• Chronic health conditions

The three main approaches to treating AFib are:

• Medical therapy for maintaining normal rhythm and preventing clots

• Cardioversion, which is therapy to reset the heart rhythm

• Procedures to obtain and maintain normal heart rhythm

— MAYO CLINIC NEWS NETWORK