By What is the number one cardiac arrhythmia? What heart condition affects over 3 million people in Europe alone? What is the fastest growing technique in cardiology?
The answer may surprise you. It isn’t about cloning, stem cells or any of the in utero procedures you might think it would be. The condition isn’t something that people talk about, yet 5% of the population over 75 suffer from it. That’s 5% of all adults. The percentage of adults with congenital heart defects (CHDs) who suffer from this condition is 15% — three times that of the population at large.
What is it, you may wonder? It’s atrial arrhythmias or atrial fibrillation. It’s commonly called Afib or AF in the heart world. This arrhythmia is characterized by a rate or rhythm problem with the heart’s beat. According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, “During an arrhythmia, the heart can beat too fast, too slow, or with an irregular rhythm. AF occurs if rapid, disorganized electrical signals cause the heart’s two upper chambers — called the atria — to fibrillate. The term “fibrillate” means to contract very fast and irregularly.”
Why is this important and why should people in the heart world care about this situation? The reason is that people with undiagnosed Afib are at a much greater risk for stroke and heart failure than those who know they have Afib and are under a doctor’s care for treatment of Afib.
This is especially important for the aging congenital heart defect population. To read more, go to Baby Hearts Press Blog.
The Voice of the Congenital Heart Defect Community 