September 12, 2024 – The variety of adults within the United States who've a potentially dangerous irregular heartbeat has been determined Atrial fibrillation According to newly released data, the number is 3 times higher than previously estimated by health experts.
It was previously assumed that around 3.3 million adults were affected by atrial fibrillation. This estimate was based on projections from Nineteen Nineties data. It is understood that the disease sometimes called atrial fibrillation is on the rise. But a new analysis The estimate, published Wednesday in a serious cardiology medical journal, now puts the number at greater than 10.5 million adults.
That’s almost 5% of the U.S. adult population. The disease tends to affect older people, especially those over 60 years old. The recent estimate due to this fact assumes that atrial fibrillation is kind of common in older adults.
individuals with Atrial fibrillation You feel an irregular heart rhythm as the highest two of the guts's 4 chambers twitch and tremble. This can affect blood flow, which in severe cases can result in blood clots and stroke. Symptoms may include shortness of breath, fatigue, dizziness, a rapid heart rate between 100 and 160 beats per minute, and heart palpitations, which is an increased feeling of your heart racing, fluttering, pounding, or skipping your heartbeat. Another symptom is exercise intolerance, meaning an individual feels excessively drained during exercise. However, some people don't experience any symptoms.
“Atrial fibrillation doubles the risk of mortality, is a leading cause of stroke, increases the risk of heart failure, myocardial infarction (heart attack), chronic kidney disease and dementia, and leads to a lower quality of life,” said researcher Jean Jacques Noubiap, MD, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow on the University of California, San Francisco specializing in global cardiovascular health, in a opinion. “Fortunately, atrial fibrillation is preventable, and early detection and appropriate treatment can significantly reduce adverse outcomes.”
The recent estimate was based on health data from greater than 29 million people in California from 2005 to 2019. Researchers were capable of use the California data combined with U.S. Census data to develop national estimates. They noted that their recent figures are the primary such updated calculations in greater than 20 years.
Risk aspects for developing atrial fibrillation include hypertension, obstructive sleep apnea, obesity, diabetes, excessive alcohol consumption and smoking.
A separate studyThe study, also published Wednesday, showed that quitting smoking can quickly and significantly reduce an individual's risk of atrial fibrillation. The recent study found that former smokers had a 13% to 18% lower risk of atrial fibrillation than current smokers.
Sometimes medications or procedures can restore the traditional rhythm of the guts of individuals with atrial fibrillation. If an everyday heartbeat can't be restored, medications and lifestyle changes may also help prevent the condition from worsening.