Atrial Fibrillation (AFib): Latest Risk Factors & Treatment Advances

Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is the most common type of abnormal heart rhythm, affecting more than 3 million people in the United States. It can increase the risk of stroke, heart failure, and death.

New Risk Factors for AFib

Research has identified several new risk factors for AFib, including:

Sleep apnea: Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that causes you to stop breathing repeatedly during sleep. It can lead to high blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes, all of which are risk factors for AFib.

Alcohol consumption: Drinking too much alcohol can increase your risk of AFib, especially if you drink more than two drinks per day.

Air pollution: Exposure to air pollution, particularly fine particulate matter (PM2.5), has been linked to an increased risk of AFib.

Rheumatic fever: Rheumatic fever is a rare but serious complication of strep throat that can damage the heart, including the valves. People who have had rheumatic fever are at increased risk for AFib.
.

Better Treatments for AFib

There are several new treatments for AFib that can help you manage your symptoms and reduce your risk of complications.
.

- Blood thinners: Blood thinners, such as warfarin (Coumadin), rivaroxaban (Xarelto), apixaban (Eliquis), and edoxaban (Savaysa), help prevent blood clots from forming in your heart and traveling to your brain, causing a stroke.
.

- Antiarrhythmic drugs: Antiarrhythmic drugs, such as propafenone (Rythmol), flecainide (Tambocor), and dofetilide (Tikosyn), help control your heart rate and keep it from beating too fast.
.

- Catheter ablation: Catheter ablation is a procedure that uses heat or cold to destroy the tissue in your heart that is causing AFib. It is an effective treatment for some people with AFib, but it is not right for everyone.
.

- Left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO): LAAO is a procedure that closes off the left atrial appendage (LAA), a small pouch in the upper left chamber of your heart where blood clots often form. Closing off the LAA can help prevent blood clots from traveling to your brain and causing a stroke.
.