Study: A-fib 3 times more common than experts thought

[PeteS in CA]

Study: A-fib 3 times more common than experts thought

https://www.upi.com/Health_News/2024/09/12/study-A-fib-3-times-more-common/3171726154261/

The number of Americans with a potentially dangerous heart rhythm condition is three times greater than previously thought, a new study claims.

An estimated 5% of the population -- 10.5 million U.S. adults -- have atrial fibrillation, according to new estimates from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).

Previous estimates held that around 3.3 million adults had A-Fib, but those projections hadn't been updated in more than two decades, researchers noted.
...
A-Fib has been on the rise for at least the past decade, driven by the aging of the population, researchers said. Increasing rates of high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity are also contributing to more people developing the condition.

With A-Fib, the upper chambers of the heart, called the atria, start to beat irregularly.

This allows blood to pool and potentially clot in the atria, increasing a person's risk of stroke.

Untreated A-Fib raises a person's risk of stroke fivefold, and also doubles the risk of heart-related death, researchers said.

This condition has affected my life a couple of times. In the mid 90s, my Dad had a stroke that basically forced him to move from his farm several miles from town to the "Independent Living" section that was part of an ALF. He could come and go more or less as he chose, but his meds were delivered to him by schedule, and meals were available in the facility. Several month later he discovered that he had A-Fib and had a pacemaker implanted. His stroke was probably caused by his yet undiagnosed A-Fib.

Fast-forward ~20 years, I had a very mild stroke - no ongoing effects from it - and it was discovered I had heart rhythm irregularities, i.e. A-Fib. Other potential causes were eliminated, so my stroke was also probably due to A-Fib.

WRT, "A-Fib has been on the rise for at least the past decade," it is likely the phenomenon has been around for centuries or millennia, and the increase for several decades. It's just diagnostic procedures and awareness that have improved and increased more recently.

[catfish1957]

Study: A-fib 3 times more common than experts thought

https://www.upi.com/Health_News/2024/09/12/study-A-fib-3-times-more-common/3171726154261/

This condition has affected my life a couple of times. In the mid 90s, my Dad had a stroke that basically forced him to move from his farm several miles from town to the "Independent Living" section that was part of an ALF. He could come and go more or less as he chose, but his meds were delivered to him by schedule, and meals were available in the facility. Several month later he discovered that he had A-Fib and had a pacemaker implanted. His stroke was probably caused by his yet undiagnosed A-Fib.

Fast-forward ~20 years, I had a very mild stroke - no ongoing effects from it - and it was discovered I had heart rhythm irregularities, i.e. A-Fib. Other potential causes were eliminated, so my stroke was also probably due to A-Fib.

WRT, "A-Fib has been on the rise for at least the past decade," it is likely the phenomenon has been around for centuries or millennia, and the increase for several decades. It's just diagnostic procedures and awareness that have improved and increased more recently.

I've had it for 4 years, and my Doc says as long as it's status remains "rate controlled", it shouldn't be a problem for me.  (i.e <80 bpm at rest and a thinner regiment). I susepct mine is Sleep Apnea related, but as I have told about 20 doctors, as an extremely light sleeper, which would be worse.....
(1) The uncontrolled sleep apnea or (2) The sleep deprivation I'd encounter by wearing the damned mask.

[libertybele]

I've had it for 4 years, and my Doc says as long as it's status remains "rate controlled", it shouldn't be a problem for me.  (i.e <80 bpm at rest and a thinner regiment). I susepct mine is Sleep Apnea related, but as I have told about 20 doctors, as an extremely light sleeper, which would be worse.....
(1) The uncontrolled sleep apnea or (2) The sleep deprivation I'd encounter by wearing the damned mask.

I was dxd with A-fib -- had a atrial clip put in to prevent strokes and had a maze procedure as well.  My health is now much worse as a result.

As for sleep apnea -- they have new devices out without masks. There's no way I could sleep with a mask either -- I don't sleep all that great anyways and that would be a definite sleep breaker.

[jafo2010]

libertybele,

What is dxd?

[jafo2010]

I just turned 71 on the 9th.

My heart rate is usually in the 50s, my blood pressure is normally 115/68.  My wife is 20 years my junior and she often has trouble keeping up with me.

I attribute my general health in large part to the fact I drink only distilled water since 1979.  I drink iced tea with distilled water.

I know I will never have a blocked artery, no kidney stones, no gall stones, no cataracts with deposits, no arthritis with deposits, and no Alzheimers.  All of these maladies are associated with a buildup of something in the body that does not belong.  What distilled water does is keep the body pure, and in doing so, healthy.

One must eat somewhat healthy, and I still take a multiple vitamin/mineral supplement daily.  I take no meds, have no health conditions.  I can't tell you how many people I have helped through the years, who had one of the issues noted above, they began drinking distilled water, with their tea, coffee, juices(frozen concentrate), etc, and their condition reversed.

I have lost so many friends who had artery blockages, ended up getting stents, etc, and did  not listen to me about distilled water.  My closest friend got on the net, and came back saying the net indicates it leaches minerals from the body.  So he declined using it.  He was dead two years later.  And if you have a diet of only eating junk food, it could be a problem.  But if you eat somewhat healthy, and as I do, use a vitamin/mineral supplement, there are no issues.

The additional benefit of not drinking tap water, well water, etc, is that there is no chlorine or fluoride (both known carcinogens), and the other 40+ chemicals municipal systems use, no lead pipes the water is traveling through, as what exist in many US cities.  And for those with well water, the aquafier level of water has become highly polluted across the USA from agricultural runoff of pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, etc.

There is a lot to know.  We always hear, you are what you eat.  But from my perspective, you are what you drink, and it is equally important.  Our environment has become so polluted, we need to take steps to protect our wellness.

[catfish1957]

I just turned 71 on the 9th.

My heart rate is usually in the 50s, my blood pressure is normally 115/68.  My wife is 20 years my junior and she often has trouble keeping up with me.

I attribute my general health in large part to the fact I drink only distilled water since 1979.  I drink iced tea with distilled water.

I know I will never have a blocked artery, no kidney stones, no gall stones, no cataracts with deposits, no arthritis with deposits, and no Alzheimers.  All of these maladies are associated with a buildup of something in the body that does not belong.  What distilled water does is keep the body pure, and in doing so, healthy.

One must eat somewhat healthy, and I still take a multiple vitamin/mineral supplement daily.  I take no meds, have no health conditions.  I can't tell you how many people I have helped through the years, who had one of the issues noted above, they began drinking distilled water, with their tea, coffee, juices(frozen concentrate), etc, and their condition reversed.

I have lost so many friends who had artery blockages, ended up getting stents, etc, and did  not listen to me about distilled water.  My closest friend got on the net, and came back saying the net indicates it leaches minerals from the body.  So he declined using it.  He was dead two years later.  And if you have a diet of only eating junk food, it could be a problem.  But if you eat somewhat healthy, and as I do, use a vitamin/mineral supplement, there are no issues.

The additional benefit of not drinking tap water, well water, etc, is that there is no chlorine or fluoride (both known carcinogens), and the other 40+ chemicals municipal systems use, no lead pipes the water is traveling through, as what exist in many US cities.  And for those with well water, the aquafier level of water has become highly polluted across the USA from agricultural runoff of pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, etc.

There is a lot to know.  We always hear, you are what you eat.  But from my perspective, you are what you drink, and it is equally important.  Our environment has become so polluted, we need to take steps to protect our wellness.

Congratulations...  Not being on one single med at age 71, is quite an accomplishment.  I take the about 20 daily supplements, and vitamins.  So It take it pretty seriously too.  One thing that has seemed to help me (after a K-Stone) was a physican's suggestion that I drink one quart of strong lemon-water daily as part of that regiment.  It has helped.  I also understand your points around diet.  But. I am a serious carnivore, and without meat?   After one day, I get pretty grumpy.

And last, more than anything.  Health has a lot to do with genetics.  Doing genealogy of many people has shown me that that one factor influences how healthy and how long we live, by far more than any one factor.  In fact in the genealogy class that I've taught, I have suggested that everyone get a copy of every death certificate of every ancestor who has died since about 1915.  Believe it or not, 95% of these still exist, and can be ordered from the state the person died.  With all those on file, check the causes, and trends and use that as a self health -troublshooting tool to address things that you are genetically predisposed to.

[jafo2010]

catfish,

I eat red meat regularly.  I am a beef guy.  No one is taking my beef away.  I seldom eat fish, largely because the fish I tend to like is high in mercury.

In recent years, Dr. Gundry has had some influence in my regard, so I have reduced the foods I eat with lectins.  I do not eat as many tomatoes and potatoes as I used to eat.

I know my ancestry well.  It is mixed in terms of longevity.  Taking my mother's siblings and her, there were five of them.  The two that lived the longest used water purification and lived the longest, 86 and 89.  The two that purified their water, one drank distilled water, at my urging, the other used a reverse osmosis device, which I believe to be the 2nd best method for water purification.  I consider it a lesser quality because the water quality declines over time, and it is expensive, having to replace five or so filters every 90 days and the membrane once a year.  The ones that did not use water purification lived to be 56, 63, and 72.

While a small sampling, it is a telling story of how what type of water makes a difference.  For the three that died young, all their deaths were tied to some form of cancer.  It is my humble opinion that tap water and well water are the primary cause of cancer in the USA.  But you will NEVER hear that omission from scientists.  NEVER!!!

In 1995, I went to Loma Linda Hospital to get a doctor to sign a form for a client.  He was there for a liver transplant, and if the do signed a form saying he expected him to die within one year, he was able to get 50% of his death benefit from his life insurance policy, less a fee, tax free, to help him maintain his life.  He had over $3,000 worth of pharma bills per month. 

Anyway, the doctor told me the following.  They did a study on bottled water in California.  He indicated at the time, 72% of homes in CA were using some form of point of service purification in the home, whether it was distillation, RO or purchased purified water.  Of the Top 25 water bottlers, they had the water tested, and only one bottler produced water to the quality as indicated on the label.  The water industry is NOT inspected by anyone.  The ONLY WAY to guarantee high quality water is purification within your own home.  That means having a distiller or RO unit.  Everything else, particularly filtration by itself, is really not in your best interest health wise..

[roamer_1]

I too have a-fib. Treatment seems to be blood thinners...

FYI, smart watches can detect a-fib episodes.

Since I fell ill last spring, I have one recorded incident of AFIB, which lasted less than half an hour while I slept. It was self-correcting.

I use a Fitbit (Google) Versa 3. Kinda handy, that watch. Paid fifty bucks for the pebble, and then the cost of a watchband... It surely puts my kin at ease. I hardly use the rest of the smart features, other than time. date, and weather... Mostly it just hangs there and monitors... All the rest of the 'smart' part can also be done (and lot's easier) on my phone, which is also always on my person.

[libertybele]

libertybele,

What is dxd?

Sorry -- diagnosed.

@Jafa -- you have often talked about distilled water; is bottled distilled water acceptable???

[libertybele]

I too have a-fib. Treatment seems to be blood thinners...

FYI, smart watches can detect a-fib episodes.

Since I fell ill last spring, I have one recorded incident of AFIB, which lasted less than half an hour while I slept. It was self-correcting.

I use a Fitbit (Google) Versa 3. Kinda handy, that watch. Paid fifty bucks for the pebble, and then the cost of a watchband... It surely puts my kin at ease. I hardly use the rest of the smart features, other than time. date, and weather... Mostly it just hangs there and monitors... All the rest of the 'smart' part can also be done (and lot's easier) on my phone, which is also always on my person.

I can't be on a blood thinner, that's why they did the maze procedure on the heart and put in the clip.  For me, it wasn't beneficial and actually made the situation worse.  Oh well. God's will is God's will.

[roamer_1]

I can't be on a blood thinner, that's why they did the maze procedure on the heart and put in the clip.  For me, it wasn't beneficial and actually made the situation worse.  Oh well. God's will is God's will.

I'm sorry to hear that. 
My own problem is pretty incidental.I'm on two heart meds (metropolol and cozar), and Eliquis for blood thinner. They tried to switch me over to Warfarin, but that don't work so good on me....They've cut me back on the Metro, and this month is my next echo... expected to be pretty normal. So the whole heart thing is pretty much under control.

My thing is making my legs go, and balance. If I can get all that working again, I can walk this off...

But that is becoming unlikely. Another year to go before they give up on it. 

[libertybele]

I'm sorry to hear that. 
My own problem is pretty incidental.I'm on two heart meds (metropolol and cozar), and Eliquis for blood thinner. They tried to switch me over to Warfarin, but that don't work so good on me....They've cut me back on the Metro, and this month is my next echo... expected to be pretty normal. So the whole heart thing is pretty much under control.

My thing is making my legs go, and balance. If I can get all that working again, I can walk this off...

But that is becoming unlikely. Another year to go before they give up on it. 

@roamer_1  so sorry to hear about your legs -- is physical therapy an option????

[roamer_1]

@roamer_1  so sorry to hear about your legs -- is physical therapy an option????

Doing all that... Hard going because I can't stay up on em long... Hard to get up, and the first few steps are murder. but then I get it all going in the same direction and I'm alright for about 5 minutes.... But then a weakness sets in, and my feet quit going where I put em. That's why I need this buggy around all the time.

Howabout you? Have you tried Turmeric or Willow Bark? With your doc's knowledge of course... both are blood thinners.

[jafo2010]

libertybele...

@Jafa -- you have often talked about distilled water; is bottled distilled water acceptable???

It is better than tap water or well water.  BUT, major but, you must be careful what type of bottling.  I suggest only buying in clear or blue plastic.  The milky white bottles contain formaldehyde in the plastic. 

Important to know.  As you know, water dissolves things when mixed with it.  Mix Tang in water, and it dissolves into the water.  Distilled water has higher capability to dissolve things that it comes in contact with, so on the milky white bottles, the formaldehyde leaches into the water in the time from production to consumption.  Needless to say, formaldehyde is not good for your body.

Plus, what you are buying is not inspected, not by anyone.  So, when your budget allows, get your own device.

You can contact me via PM, and I will tell you how to get a device at wholesale, saving close to 50% of the cost.

As an aside, the woman I bought my first distiller, she lived to be 98 or 99 years of age.  I last spoke to her when she was 96, and she was very proud of the fact she looked younger.  When I met her, I was 26, she asked me how old I thought she was.  I guessed 50.  She said, I am 70, and she was very proud of folks guessing her to be younger.  At 96, she said folks think I am 70.  She really did look much younger than her years.

My wife thinks I look 20 years younger too.  Kind of funny.  She tells me I have virtually no wrinkles, and because of my health condition, she thinks of me as younger.  My neighbor, he is 74.  We got on age, I asked him how old he thought I was, he said 52.  I laughed.  He could not believe I was just a few years younger than him.

[PeteS in CA]

I've had it for 4 years, and my Doc says as long as it's status remains "rate controlled", it shouldn't be a problem for me.  (i.e <80 bpm at rest and a thinner regiment). I susepct mine is Sleep Apnea related, but as I have told about 20 doctors, as an extremely light sleeper, which would be worse.....
(1) The uncontrolled sleep apnea or (2) The sleep deprivation I'd encounter by wearing the damned mask.

Have you looked into a mouthpiece-like appliance for the apnea? https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/dental-appliances-for-sleep-apnea-do-they-work-2021042822476 , specifically the "Mandibular advancement device"?