PCL Week 1 - AF Risk Factors

MAJOR RISK FACTORS

AF is more common in people who have heart diseases or conditions, such as:

•Coronary heart disease (CAD)

•Heart Failure

•Rheumatic heart disease

•Structural heart defects

•Pericarditis (a condition in which the membrane, or sac, around your heart is inflamed)

•Congenital heart defects

•Sick sinus syndrome (a condition in which the heart's electrical signals don't fire properly and the heart rate slows down; sometimes the heart will switch back and forth between a slow rate and a fast rate)

AF also is more common in people who are having heart attacks or who have just had surgery. (most common complication after heart surgery.)

•Age

–Prevalence increases with age.

–After age 65, between 3 percent and 5 percent of people.

–9 percent of people who are age 80 or older have the condition.

•Family history of heart disease

•Gender (males are more susceptible)

OTHER RISK FACTORS

Other conditions that increase AF risk include:

•Hyperthyroidism (Thyroid hormone contributes to arrythmogenic activity by altering the electrophysiological characteristics of atrial myocytes by shortening the action potential duration, enhancing automaticity and triggered activity in the pulmonary vein cardio myocytes.)

•High blood pressure

•Obesity (role still unknown)

•Diabetes (relationship unknown)

•Alcohol (esp. binge drinking. Even modest amounts of alcohol can trigger AF in some people) (unknown too)

•Caffeine or psychological stress also may trigger AF in some people.

Sleep Apnea

•Some evidence suggests that people who have sleep apnea are at greater risk for AF. Sleep apnea is a common disorder in which you have one or more pauses in breathing or shallow breaths while you sleep.

Metabolic Syndrome

•People who have this condition have a group of risk factors that increase their risk of heart disease and other health problems.

•Recent research suggests that people who receive high-dose steroid therapy are at increased risk of AF. This therapy, which is commonly used for asthma and certain inflammatory conditions, may act as a trigger in people who already have other AF risk factors.

•About 1 in 10,000 otherwise healthy, young adults have AF without any apparent cause or underlying heart disease. AF in these individuals usually is intermittent, but can become chronic in 25%. This condition is referred to as lone AF. Stress, alcohol, tobacco, or use of stimulants may play a role in causing lone AF.