StopAfib.org is excited to announce our participation in FacingAFib, partnering with daytime TV star Susan Lucci, her husband Helmut Huber, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and the National Stroke Association. FacingAFib (www.FacingAFib.com) is a new national education program to improve awareness of Afib and its increased risk of stroke. To learn more, see: TV Star Susan …
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A new study exploring ethnic differences in stroke risk for people with atrial fibrillation (AF) showed that Mexican American stroke survivors with afib were more than twice as likely to have another stroke as comparable non-Hispanic white stroke survivors with afib. Researchers were surprised by the study’s finding that severity of recurrent stroke is also …
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Today is a very special day – it's the start of the fourth annual National Atrial Fibrillation Awareness Month. In celebration, StopAfib.org is kicking off a new initiative asking YOU to Take a Stand against Atrial Fibrillation and Stroke. We are launching the new Take a Stand video that shares important statistics about the impact …
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Whether you're an atrial fibrillation patient or caregiver, or are just interested in learning more about afib, check out the new Get Started Learning About Atrial Fibrillation Guide at StopAfib.org. You'll find a wealth of information, including: what afib is and the problems it causes, including stroke and congestive heart failure information about an afib …
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Not all atrial fibrillation patients are candidates for an ablation, either catheter ablation or surgical ablation, such as the maze or mini maze procedures. Thus their stroke risk remains high. We recently wrote about the FDA’s approval of the AtriClip device, which is implanted during open heart surgery and reduces stroke risk by occluding (closing …
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AF patients are generally at a higher risk for stroke and thus may have to take anticoagulant medications, such as Coumadin or warfarin, to manage their afib-related stroke risk. With the FDA's recent approval of AtriCure's AtriClip device that is implanted during open heart surgery, afib patients and their doctors may now have another way …
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Findings presented at Heart Rhythm 2010 showed that stopping atrial fibrillation—whether through medication, surgery, or in the case of this study, catheter ablation— could potentially prevent the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias and also reduce the risk of stroke and death. Doctors John D. Day, MD, and T. Jared Bunch, MD, at …
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Atrial fibrillation took center stage in a feature story in Tuesday's Washington Post. The article not only looked at treatment for atrial fibrillation, but also at what afib does to patients. The atrial fibrillation experiences of Mellanie True Hills, founder of StopAfib.org, were included in this story. Read more at: Washington Post Highlights Afib: Atrial …
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Doctors are trying to identify the characteristics that predict which patients aren’t likely to be successful with a catheter ablation for their atrial fibrillation. At a session at the recent Heart Rhythm Society annual meeting, some of the factors discussed included left atrial size, left atrial volume, left ventricle dysfunction (improper functioning of the left …
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An important session at Heart Rhythm Society 2010 was "Medical Issues After Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation and Flutter." It dealt with what constitutes success following catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (afib) and atrial flutter, and which is more important, the medical definition or the patient's definition. Which definition is used can have implications for treatment …
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