The signs and symptoms of atrial fibrillation can be vague and cause some people to think they’re just out of shape or getting older. But atrial fibrillation, or “a-fib,” shouldn’t be ignored. An irregular, often rapid, heartbeat due to a-fib increases risk of stroke, heart failure and other cardiac problems.
In this Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, cardiologist and Mayo Clinic Health Letter editorial board member Dr. Christopher DeSimone explains what happens to the heart during a-fib, describing the chambers of the heart like a two-story house. Dr. DeSimone, who specializes in cardiac electrophysiology, also describes the signs and symptoms of a-fib, how it’s diagnosed and explains why treatment is so important to quality.
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Foreword by Tia Newcomer, CEO of CaringBridge When Cris Ross and Ed Marx were diagnosed with cancer, they thought they knew what to do next. They were, after all, executives at two of the premiere hospitals in the United States—Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic. But even decades of obsessing about…
