Atrial Fibrillation Awareness Month: Sign Against Stroke in Atrial Fibrillation — Video
September 5, 2013
- Summary: What you don’t know about atrial fibrillation could kill you, or a loved one! Learn more about afib and afib-related strokes during Atrial Fibrillation Awareness Month, and Sign Against Stroke in Atrial Fibrillation in the lower right of this page.
- Reading and watching time is approximately 5 minutes
What you don’t know about atrial fibrillation could kill you, or a loved one!
Atrial fibrillation (also called afib) is an irregular heartbeat (or heart rhythm), and is a major cause of strokes. Having afib increases your stroke risk by 500 percent. In addition, afib can lead to heart failure, dementia, and even Alzheimer’s disease.
If you think you might have it, please get diagnosed and treated, before you have a stroke.
September is Atrial Fibrillation Awareness Month. Please show your support for the Sign Against Stroke in Atrial Fibrillation campaign by signing the Global AF Charter in the lower right of this page.
It only takes a moment to add your voice to the hundreds of thousands of people who have already signed and are spreading awareness about afib and strokes and influencing governments worldwide.
While you’re here, please take the time to learn more about atrial fibrillation and how to protect yourself from afib-related strokes. Start with our online Get Started Learning About Atrial Fibrillation Guide.
Learn more in this video:
- Low resolution
- High resolution — YouTube
View the Atrial Fibrillation Awareness Month press release
Learn about the Global Atrial Fibrillation Charter
Video Transcript:
What you don’t know about atrial fibrillation could kill you – or a loved one.
Atrial fibrillation (also called afib) is the most common type of irregular heartbeat (or heart rhythm). It is a major cause of strokes. In fact, having afib increases your stroke risk by 500 percent, and 1 out of 3 of those with afib will have a stroke in their lifetime. In addition to causing strokes, afib can lead to heart failure, dementia, and even Alzheimer’s disease.
I founded StopAfib.org to raise awareness about this devastating, yet little-known, condition. Our goal is to rid the world of afib-related strokes by encouraging people to get diagnosed and treated before having a stroke.
About two-thirds of those who have it can feel their afib. It can feel like a racing heartbeat, or butterflies, or like a fish flopping around in your chest. But about one-third of those with afib don’t know they have it. Often, they don’t find out until they go for surgery or a procedure, or even worse, until after they’ve had a stroke.
Today, more than 5 million Americans have afib, and by 2030, it’s expected that as many as 17 million people will have it. About 350,000 hospitalizations a year in the U.S. are attributed to afib. In addition, people over the age of 40 have a one in four chance of developing afib in their lifetime.
The good news is that by spreading the word about afib, we can wipe out afib-related strokes throughout the world. That’s where StopAfib.org comes in. I’ve been afib-free for about eight years. And I knew I couldn’t stand on the sidelines and watch others suffer. We raise awareness, support and enhance communication between patients and doctors, and strive to improve the quality of life for those living with afib.
StopAfib.org has partnered in the Facing AFib campaign, featuring actress Susan Lucci and her husband, and the AF Stat coalition awareness-raising efforts, featuring NBA Hall-of-Famer Jerry West. I’ve even had the privilege of following Barry Manilow at the podium in front of members of Congress to raise awareness of atrial fibrillation and to ask for support for the Atrial Fibrillation Resolution.
That momentum continues in September as we launch Atrial Fibrillation Awareness Month. I encourage you to join the Sign Against Stroke campaign to show your support by signing the Global Atrial Fibrillation Charter. Simply go to www.StopAfib.org and sign the Charter, in the lower right of the page. It only takes a second to add your voice to the hundreds of thousands of people who have already signed.
And while you’re at StopAfib.org, take time to learn more about afib and afib-related strokes and how they affect you and your family. And sign up for our newsletter to get the latest afib news and learn about upcoming patient events where you can meet experts and learn how to get in rhythm, and stay in rhythm.
Your support can mean saving someone from this little-known, but deadly, condition. And remember: Life’s too short to live in afib!