A new treatment may help the millions of Americans who suffer with an irregular heartbeat condition. Snapping Pictures of the Heart Atrial fibrillation is the irregular beating of the upper two chambers of the heart. It is caused by a disruption in the electrical signal traveling from the heart's upper chambers, or atria, to the ventricles in the lower part of the heart. While it is not usually life-threatening, the condition raises the possibility of stroke because of an increased risk of blood clots, which may travel to the brain.
Blood can pool in the atria and clot.
The diminished pumping ability may make people feel weak, faint and short of breath. Some people, especially the elderly may develop heart failure. In some persistent cases it is treated through an elective procedure called cardioversion, which shocks the heart back into a regular rhythm. But that procedure is a risky one. That is where the new treatment comes in.