Heart disease is the most common cause of death in the U.S. for both men and women. In fact, one in four deaths is due to heart disease each year. Being a federally designated event, American Heart Month is the perfect time to remind individuals in the U.S. to keep heart health in mind and encourage their loved ones, communities, and friends to become involved.
The American Heart Association and other medical organizations use this time to raise awareness of the importance of adopting or maintaining heart-healthy lifestyle habits and seeking treatment as early as possible in the event of warning signs. You can take action by reviewing your own lifestyle choices, talking about heart-healthy habits with friends and family, and even sharing American Heart Month posts on social media.
The Relationship Between Heart Disease and AFib
AFib, which stands for atrial fibrillation, is an arrhythmia (a quivering or abnormal heartbeat) that could result in heart failure, blood clots, stroke, and other heart-related problems. A minimum of 2.7 million individuals in the U.S. are currently living with AFib. AFib could lead to various life-threatening health conditions.
Typically, the human heart will contract and relax to a normal beat. With AFib, your upper heart chambers (the atria) quiver or beat irregularly rather than beating properly to move your blood into the ventricles.
If you have a clot that breaks off and gets into your bloodstream, it could become lodged in your artery that leads to your brain, causing a stroke. Around 15% to 20% of individuals who have strokes experience heart arrhythmia. And, this risk of clot is why individuals who have this condition are prescribed blood-thinning medications. While left untreated, AFib doubles your heart-related death risk and increases your risk of stroke 5-fold.
Now is the perfect time for individuals who live in your communities and work in your health systems and hospitals to make the commitment to a healthy heart lifestyle. Become involved in American Heart Month, if you’re not already. Be sure to share different strategies to live heart-healthy lives and prevent heart disease.
In your mission for living a heart-healthy life, be sure to obtain more information about AFib and how it can affect your heart health. If you suspect you have AFib, seek medical attention right away. Schedule an appointment with Heart Rhythm Consultants today. Our team of electrophysiologists has been serving patients in Sarasota and nearby communities including Tampa, Venice, Port Charlotte, and Sun City Center for over a decade.
