Atrial fibrillation is the most common type of irregular heartbeat, or arrhythmia, and it currently affects 2.2 million Americans, according to the American Heart Association. The irregular, rapid heart rate associated with atrial fibrillation...
Atrial fibrillation is an abnormal heart rhythm in which the upper heart chambers, or atria, quiver in a disorganized, chaotic fashion. This makes the heart pump inefficiently, which in turn increases the risk of blood clots. The rhythm tends to...
Atrial fibrillation is a condition of an irregular and rapid heartbeat that results in poor blood flow throughout the body. In a normal heart, electrical impulses originating in the right atria signal the two upper chambers (called the atria) and...
Maintenance of normal heart rate and heart rhythm depend, in part, on the balance of electrolytes in your body. Not surprisingly, high or low levels of these vital nutrients upset the conduction system of your heart, leading to or worsening...
Atrial fibrillation is a condition in which nerve impulses that regulate heart rate become irregular and cause a disorganized heart rhythm in the atria -- the upper chambers of the heart. This condition occurs in 3 to 5 percent of people over age...
Atrial fibrillation is a condition of irregular heartbeats that causes poor blood flow to the body. Symptoms include heart palpitations, shortness of breath, chest pain, confusion and weakness. Atrial fibrillation may be caused by previous...
Atrial fibrillation is a type of arrhythmia, or irregular heartbeat, that occurs when the heart's two upper chambers--the left and right atria--beat erratically and out of sync with its two lower chambers--the left and right ventricle. The...
According to the American Heart Association, during atrial fibrillation the heart's two small upper chambers (the atria) quiver instead of beating effectively, causing blood to not pump completely out of them, so it may pool and clot. Patients...
Vitamin C, a water soluble essential nutrient, is one of your body's most important antioxidant substances and also contributes to the formation of connective tissues. Atrial fibrillation, a condition characterized by an irregular rhythm of...
Atrial fibrillation is an irregular heart rhythm originating in the two upper chambers of the heart, called the atria. This rapid and disorganized rhythm causes symptoms of weakness, shortness of breath and light-headedness, according to...
Atrial fibrillation is the most common irregular heart rhythm, according to the Cleveland Clinic. During atrial fibrillation, many different impulses rapidly fire at once, causing a very fast, chaotic rhythm in the atria. The treatment goals...
Caffeine is among the most widely consumed stimulants in the world. According to Medline Plus of the National Institutes of Health, caffeine has many effects on the body, including central nervous system stimulation, which can make you more alert...
Atrial fibrillation is an irregular, rapid heartbeat that prevents your heart from pumping adequate amounts of blood to your body. According to the American Heart Association, 2.2 million Americans have this heart disorder. Because atrial...
Atrial fibrillation is a common heart condition. It occurs when the heart muscle does not properly contract and push the blood out of the heart's two upper chambers. Instead of a forceful contraction, the heart may flutter or not contact fully. It...
Atrial fibrillation is an irregular heart rhythm in which the heart quivers instead of beating regularly. This occurs because the command center of the heart fails to coordinate activity with the pumping center. People may thus experience...
The heart is a complex organ that requires carefully coordinated electrical currents in order to beat properly. Atrial fibrillation is a type of cardiac arrythmmia that can cause serious health problems. Some vitamins, such as vitamins C and E,...
Atrial fibrillation represents one of the most common forms of arrhythmia or irregular heartbeat. According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, atrial fibrillation occurs when the electrical signals that govern heart rate and rhythm...
Atrial fibrillation (AF), also called A Fib, is an irregular, usually rapid heart rhythm (arrhythmia), that originates in the upper area (atria) of the heart due to abnormal electrical cardiac impulses that make the heart "quiver." Consequently,...
Atrial fibrillation is characterized by an irregular and unusually fast heart rate. A normal resting heart rate ranges from 60 to 100 beats per minute; someone with atrial fibrillation often has a heart rate of 140 or more beats per minute. Atrial...
Episodes of atrial fibrillation, which involve a rapid heartbeat and poor blood flow, can be caused by dietary and lifestyle factors. Treatment usually involves medications that alter your heart's electrical impulses, but you can also prevent...
Atril fibrillation, or a fib, is the most common irregular heart rhythm. It can be related to heart disease, stress, excessive caffeine or alcohol use or electrolyte imbalances. When the heart is in a fib, it is not beating efficiently and is...
The left atrium is the chamber of the heart that receives oxygenated blood from the lungs. The heart pumps blood from the left atrium, through the mitral valve, into the left ventricle and out to the body. Any condition that increases pressure in...
Your heart is an incredibly dynamic organ. Capable of recognizing and responding to changes in your behavior and physical activity, a healthy heart can adjust its function to meet most demands placed upon it. As we age, damage to your heart lead...
Atrial septal defect is categorized as a congenital heart defect and commonly referred to as a "hole in the heart," states Kids Health. Atrial septal defect occurs as an opening between the two upper chambers of the heart, the atria. This defect...
If you have a rapid, racing heartbeat and feelings of weakness, you may have atrial fibrillation. The most common arrhythmia originating in the atria, the upper chambers of the heart, atrial fibrillation has many causes. Abnormal electrical...
Atrial flutter, also known as palpitations or arrhythmias, is a type of fast heart beat caused by a faulty electrical signal that triggers a large circuit rather than a smaller node of cardiac muscle to beat. This condition is common and,...
An atrial septal defect is a congenital condition in which a hole is present in the wall separating the two upper chambers, or atria, of the heart. This opening can adversely affect the flow of oxygenated blood throughout the heart, lungs and...
Atrial fibrillation is a condition in which the the atria, which are the top two chambers of the heart, beat erratically. The purpose of the atria is to propel blood into the ventricles, which pump blood to the lungs for oxygenation and also pump...
The heart consists of four chambers: two upper chambers called the atrium and two bottom chambers called the ventricles. These chambers must all contract in an orderly fashion in order for the heart to deliver blood and oxygen properly. In the...
Mitral stenosis is a vavular heart disease denoting the narrowing of the heart's mitral valve. Learn more about mitral stenosis and the heart in this health video.
