Inspira Health Network, Inc.

FALL 2017

Spirit of Women magazine is a national publication presented to women by hospitals and their physicians. The magazine provides up-to-date, evidence-based healthcare information and promotes our hospitals as leaders in women's health excellence.

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9 AFib, where the heart's rhythm is out of sync, puts patients at a much higher risk for blood clots and strokes. Here's how you can keep your heart on a healthy beat . Each year, nearly three million people are diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, or AFib, the most common serious heart- rhythm abnormality in people over age 65 (although it is not unheard of among young people). The condition occurs when the two upper chambers of the heart (atria) beat, sometimes quite rapidly, out of sync with the lower chambers (ventricles). Those with AFib have a one in three chance of having a stroke. And although more than half of these individuals are not aware of their increased risk, AFib patient Peter Nguyen is. AFib and Blood Clots Recently, a virus and a bout with kidney stones triggered an AFib episode and landed him in the hospital, where he stayed for a week. While there, doctors performed a TEE scan, putting a tiny camera down his throat to get a closer look at his heart. That is when they discovered the life-threatening blood clot. Before moving forward with any procedures to treat the AFib, they sent Nguyen home with a wearable automatic defibrillator and a prescription for blood thinners. Now he is homebound, waiting, praying, for the blood clot in his heart to dissolve. Even a quick drive to the grocery store could cause the clot to dislodge and travel to Nguyen's brain, leading to a stroke. REASON Symptoms and Management Nguyen, who is 40, was diagnosed with AFib at age 32. Although some people with the condition have no symptoms at all, Nguyen's episodes have generally come with the traditional symptoms: a fluttering or pounding sensation in the chest, shortness of breath, dizziness and fatigue. He also has cardiomyopathy (an enlarged heart) and heart failure. Nguyen has kept his conditions under control by taking medications and maintaining a healthy weight and keeping his cholesterol levels within a healthy range. "Despite what's happening to me now, I really feel like I have my AFib under control," Nguyen says. Medications and Stroke Prevention Even the statistics — that you're five times as likely to have a stroke if you have AFib, for example — don't paint the full picture because there's also good news. The National Stroke Association says that 60% to 80% of strokes in people with AFib can be prevented. To prevent strokes, cardiologists often prescribe anticoagulants (blood thinners). There are a number of other medications that are designed to either control the heart rate or the heart rhythm. Fixing the Rate & Rhythm In addition to medications, there are also several procedures that can help "reset" the heart's rhythm: n Cardioversion: A physician sends electrical shocks through electrodes that are placed on the chest, shocking the heart into a normal rhythm. n Ablation: An electrophysiologist will thread a catheter through a larger vein and into the heart. He or she will then create scar tissue in the heart, which will block certain electrical impulses and prevent the irregular rhythms. n Maze procedure: An open-chest surgery and is usually only done on patients who need open-chest surgery for other issues, such as a valve replacement. The surgeon creates scar tissue in the heart to prevent irregular rhythms. BY JESSICA LEVCO and This article and photo are reprinted with permission from Mended Hearts. Photo credit: Photo by Marilynn Howe; HouseOfHowe.com RHYTHM

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