When the heart stumbles How to protect yourself from atrial fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation can be life-threatening: How to protect yourself

According to medical experts, atrial fibrillation, with nearly two million people affected, is one of the most frequent cardiac arrhythmias in Germany. The flicker often goes completely unnoticed, but can have life-threatening consequences. Health experts explain how to protect yourself.

Almost two million people in Germany affected

According to the German Heart Foundation, over 1.8 million people in Germany have atrial fibrillation. Every year, thousands are added. According to the experts, the risk of getting atrial fibrillation increases with age. According to this, the frequency is around five per cent among over-60s, and around 15 per cent among over-80s. In a statement, the Heart Foundation informs about causes, symptoms and medical measures that protect against the dangers of atrial fibrillation such as heart failure and stroke.

Over 1.8 million people in Germany have atrial fibrillation. The heart rhythm disorder can become life-threatening if left untreated. Experts explain how victims can protect themselves. (Image: Sonja Calovini / fotolia.com)

Serious cardiac arrhythmia

"Atrial fibrillation is a serious cardiac arrhythmia, which can go unnoticed and untreated life-threatening for the heart and brain, to heart failure and stroke," explains Prof. Dr. med. med. Dietrich Andresen, CEO of the German Heart Foundation.

"To prevent this, atrial fibrillation must be diagnosed early and treated consistently by the doctor," said the expert.

There are several effective therapeutic approaches available.

When should you go to the doctor?

"Many patients complain of a significant loss of quality of life. Especially if they only have atrial fibrillation for a few hours or days in the meantime and therefore know how nice a regular heart rhythm is, "explains Andresen.

In atrial fibrillation, the heart is usually completely out of tact. The first attack can occur with violent blows up to the neck, pressure in the chest and an unusual shortness of breath during light activities such as climbing stairs.

Affected persons feel a sudden restlessness when the heart races in a very irregular and fast manner with a pulse of up to 160 beats per minute, in rare cases even faster.

However, the chaotic heartbeat may also be associated with a normal heart rate (normal is 60-100 beats per minute).

"Heart stunts and tachrums are often associated with inner restlessness, anxiety, a tendency to sweat, shortness of breath and poor performance," explains the cardiologist.

"However, cardiac patients whose struck heart is less well-tolerated by the arrhythmia, respiratory distress, chest pain and dizziness are particularly common. For these symptoms you should go to the doctor immediately! "

This can use an ECG, long-term ECG or event recorder to determine if the heart stumbling is a harmless heartbeat irregularity or if there is atrial fibrillation that can lead to a stroke.

Atrial fibrillation can cause fatal stroke

"Stroke is the biggest danger that comes from atrial fibrillation. Old and heart disease patients are particularly at risk, "says Andresen.

"In order to protect them from stroke, it is therefore essential to consistently use anticoagulant drugs - 'blood thinners'."

Treacherous, however, is that atrial fibrillation occurs in more than half of all patients without symptoms or discomfort and thus goes unnoticed for a long time and is therefore rarely detected promptly.

Often, patients with heart failure or stroke are hospitalized and experience for the first time that AF is responsible.

This is increasingly true for older patients, in which atrial fibrillation is often determined only by chance findings.

"Strokes that are triggered by atrial fibrillation, have a particularly serious course," warns Andresen.

Therefore, every opportunity should be used to determine the irregular heartbeat: repeatedly pressing your own pulse, observe the display on the sphygmomanometer, maybe even load an app on the phone, which helps to detect pulse irregularities.

"But the app should not be seen as the sole diagnostic tool, only the doctor can make a reliable diagnosis."

The German Heart Foundation recommends: Especially patients suffering from heart disease and persons over 60 should have their heart rate checked by heart rate during routine check-ups.

Treat causes of atrial fibrillation

When the diagnosis of atrial fibrillation is established, the cardiologist and the patient discuss the treatment options.

"Often it makes sense to treat atrial fibrillation in rare seizures that occur only once or three times a month and last only a few seconds, initially not to treat, but initially only the underlying disease that caused the arrhythmia," says Prof. Dr. med. med. Andreas Götte of the Scientific Advisory Board of the German Heart Foundation.

The task of the cardiologist is to discover the underlying disease of arrhythmia with the help of examinations and to treat these consistently.

Most common: high blood pressure is present in about 70 percent of all patients with atrial fibrillation.

Other causes may include coronary heart disease (CHD), heart failure (heart failure), valvular disease, obesity, diabetes, thyroid disease, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and sleep disorders (sleep apnea syndrome).

"These underlying diseases are consistently treated with medication and a healthy lifestyle: with endurance training every 20-30 minutes 3- to 5 times a week, losing weight in overweight, healthy diet and non-smoking."

Heavy smoking, chronic alcohol abuse and a hereditary inclination are also associated with atrial fibrillation. Particularly in the case of the heart and the healthy, there are stimuli ("triggers") that can trigger atrial fibrillation: alcohol, sleep deprivation, extreme stress, smoking, heavy caffeine intake and opulent meals.

And disorders of the salt balance (electrolytes) with a deficiency of potassium and magnesium can promote atrial fibrillation. "Then potassium and magnesium must be supplied."

Operative treatment

If patients continue to experience significant symptoms such as shortness of breath, fast tachycardia, and poor performance despite the use of antiemetic drugs (antiarrhythmic drugs), catheter ablation is advisable, according to the cardiac foundation.

The standard procedure allows experienced physicians to eliminate seizure-related atrial fibrillation in approximately 70 percent of patients. If atrial fibrillation persists, the success rate is around 50 percent.

However, some patients may require re-treatment after the first procedure.

"Patients gain significantly in quality of life. However, only designated specialist clinics should perform the treatment, "says Prof. Dr. med. med. Gerhard Hindricks from the Scientific Advisory Board of the Heart Foundation.

"Catheter ablation is a safe procedure in experienced centers: around 95% of patients experience no significant complications. But the procedure is not without its risks, "says Hindricks.

Possible complications include vascular injuries, bleeding in the pericardium and stroke.

Atrial fibrillation can weaken the heart

A long-standing atrial fibrillation can also lead to heart failure, which significantly limits the ability of those affected and reduces the quality of life.

In addition to treatment with electroshock (cardioversion) and rhythm drugs (arrhythmic drugs), recent catheter ablation studies provide a promising method that can have a positive impact on life expectancy while relieving heart failure and relieve discomfort.

However, the surgical procedure for the treatment of atrial fibrillation can be a promising therapeutic approach. (Ad)