Atrial fibrillation

**Atrial fibrillation** (**AF**, **AFib** anaa **A-fib**) be an abnormal heart rhythm (arrhythmia) characterized by rapid and irregular beating of de atrial chambers of de heart. E often dey begin as short periods of abnormal beating, wich cam be longer anaa continuous over time. E sanso fi start as oda forms of arrhythmia, such as atrial flutter, wey transform into AF.

Episodes fi be asymptomatic. Symptomatic episodes fi involve heart palpitations, fainting, lightheadedness, loss of consciousness, anaa shortness of breath. Atrial fibrillation dey associate plus an increased risk of heart failure, dementia, den stroke. E be a type of supraventricular tachycardia.

Atrial fibrillation frequently dey result from bursts of tachycardia wey dey originate insyd muscle bundles wey dey extend from de atrium to de pulmonary veins. Pulmonary vein isolation by transcatheter ablation fi restore sinus rhythm. De ganglionated plexi (autonomic ganglia of de heart atrium den ventricles) sanso fi be a source of atrial fibrillation, wey sanso sam times be ablated for dat reason. No be de pulmonary vein per, buh de left atrial appendage den ligament of Marshall fi be a source of atrial fibrillation wey sanso be ablated for dat reason. As atrial fibrillation cam be more persistent, de junction between de pulmonary veins den de left atrium cam be less of an initiator den de left atrium cam be an independent source of arrhythmias.

High blood pressure den valvular heart disease be de most common modifiable risk factors for AF. Oda heart-related risk factors dey include heart failure, coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathy, den congenital heart disease. Insyd low- and middle-income countries, valvular heart disease often be attributable to rheumatic fever. Lung-related risk factorsb dey include COPD, obesity, den sleep apnea. Cortisol den oda stress biomarkers, as well as emotional stress, fi play a role insyd de pathogenesis of atrial fibrillation.

Oda risk factors dey include excess alcohol intake, tobacco smoking, diabetes mellitus, subclinical hypothyroidism, den thyrotoxicosis. However, about half of cases no be associated plus any of dese aforementioned risks. Healthcare professionals fi suspect AF after feeling de pulse den confirm de diagnosis by interpreting an electrocardiogram (ECG). A typical ECG insyd AF dey show irregularly spaced QRS complexes widout P waves.

Healthy lifestyle changes, such as weight loss insyd people plus obesity, increased physical activity, den drinking less alcohol, fi lower de risk for AF den reduce ein burden if e occur. AF often be treated plus medications to slow de heart rate to a near-normal range (dem know as rate control) anaa to convert de rhythm to normal sinus rhythm (dem know as rhythm control). Electrical cardioversion fi convert AF to normal heart rhythm wey e be often necessary for emergency use if de person be unstable. Ablation fi prevent recurrence insyd sam people. For those at low risk of stroke, AF no necessarily dey require blood-thinning though sam healthcare providers fi prescribe an anti-clotting medication. Chaw people plus AF be at increased risk of stroke. For those at more dan low risk, experts generally dey recommend an anti-clotting medication. Anti-clotting medications dey include warfarin den direct oral anticoagulants. While dese medications dey reduce stroke risk, dem dey increase rates of major bleeding.

Atrial fibrillation be de most common serious abnormal heart rhythm den, as of 2020, e dey affect more dan 33 million people worldwide. As of 2014, na e affect about 2 to 3% of de population of Europe den North America. De incidence den prevalence of AF dey increase. Insyd de developing world, about 0.6% of males den 0.4% of females be affected. De percentage of people plus AF dey increase plus age wey 0.1% under 50 years old, 4% between 60 den 70 years old, den 14% over 80 years old be affected. Na de first known report of an irregular pulse be by Jean-Baptiste de Sénac insyd 1749. Na Thomas Lewis be de first doctor to document dis by ECG insyd 1909.

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