There is a strong correlation between AFIB and dementia. Prevalence of AFIB and dementia are both increasing with aging population. There have been several meta-analyses looking dementia in patients with AFIB. Study by Kwok in Neurology – 46.637 patients – twice the risk of dementia in patients with AFIB. Study by Santangeli in Heart Rhythm…
Tag: atrial fib
anxiety & AFIB
This quote is not meant to be funny. This is the truth of atrial fibrillation for most symptomatic patients. Early in the course of atrial fibrillation, most patients are anxious. I tell them “the paradox of AFIB is that the more you have it, the less it bothers you (most people)”. Anxiety increases risk of…
endurance exercise & AFIB
MODERATION Endurance exercise is a risk factor for atrial fibrillation. I have observed this effect since I started practice in Boulder 15 y ago. I have spent hours with my patients, discussing the role of moderation in exercise. Here is data to support this recommendation. Meden Agan The temple of Apollo at Delphi bore the inscription Meden Agan (μηδὲν…
athletes with afib – yale survey
Yale is doing a survey on athletes with AFIB Yale survey Watch this space for more data on AFIB in endurance athletes
avoid grapefruit juice in AFIB patients
Credible Meds has a great website and app on which you can check drugs that cause QT prolongation. It is important to do this, especially if you are already on drugs that prolong QT interval since combination of 2 drugs that do this can cause lethal arrhythmias. Grapefruit juice causes QT prolongation related to blocking…
low carb diet & AFIB – part 2
Here is another substudy of the ARIC study published last week. 13,385 patients were followed for 22.4 years. An increase of 9.4% in carbohydrate intake (corresponding to 1 standard deviation) was associated with an 18% lower rate of incident AF.
pain & AFIB
There have been several anecdotal examples of atrial fibrillation associated with chronic pain. The REGARDS study followed 30,239 patients over 4 years. The prevalence of AF was higher in opioid users than nonusers (12.5% vs 7.6%). The postulated mechanism is : Endogenous opioid peptides open mitochondrial potassium ATP channels, making mitochondria resistant to oxidative stress….
leaking roof, rotting timber
ARREST AFIB trial Dr. Dennis Lau from Adelaide, Australia made this analogy at the Heart Rhythm Society meeting in San Francisco. He works with Dr. Prasanthan Sanders’ group. This group published one of the seminal studies regarding lifestyle and AFIB – the ARREST AFIB trial. Lifestyle factors that lead to AFIB are like the leaking…
don’t be an Eeyore
Having type D personality is not good your cardiovascular health. Type D personality has 2 traits: Negative affectivity (worry, irritability, gloom). Social inhibition (reticence, lack of self assurance). The prevalence of Type D personality is 21% in the general population and 53% in cardiac patients. Cause or effect? Type D personality affects health related quality of life in…
processed food & mortality
A JAMA study from February 2019 showed highly processed food kills you. In 44 551 French adults 45 years or older, a 10% increase in the proportion of ultra-processed food consumption was statistically significantly associated with a 14% higher risk of all-cause mortality. Ultra processed food has high amounts of sugar, salt and saturated animal fat….