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October
What is Atrial Fibrillation?
Atrial Fibrillation, also referred to as AFib, is the most common form of heart arrhythmia. The heart is divided into four chambers. The two upper chambers, or atria, receive blood that flows into the heart. The atria then pass blood to the lower two chambers, the ventricles, which send blood to the rest of the body.
In Atrial Fibrillation, the atria fail to contract properly, often because of irregular and overly fast electrical signals. The atrial malfunction compromises the heart’s ability to pump blood to the ventricles. By limiting blood flow and increasing the chance of pooling and clotting, Afib leads to a heightened risk of heart disease and multiplies stroke risk by a factor of five.
