Martin Venderwood: Atrial Fibrillation or AF is a common heart disorder affecting close to 250,000 Canadians. Despite this, results of a recent Léger Marketing survey reveal that 60% of Canadians do not recognize that atrial fibrillation is a heart related illness. Doctor Paul Dorian says we need to raise public awareness about this condition, so people understand the risk factors and symptoms. He also says that atrial fibrillation can have serious heart health consequences, the most of important of which is stroke.
Dr. Paul Dorian: What have we learned from these surveys, what we've learnt that Canadians know less about atrial fibrillation than we might like them to know or less than perhaps we thought they know. Atrial fibrillation is a very common heart rhythm disturbance and this was not recognized by the majority of the respondents. And most of them didn't realize the kinds of symptoms that atrial fibrillation usually causes, and these symptoms are palpitations, unawareness of a rapid irregular heartbeat, shortness of breath, dizziness, lightheadedness, occasionally even loss of consciousness. We need to do a much better job of educating the general community and our patients about this disorder. So the earlier we diagnose it, the earlier we can give treatment and the more strokes we're going to prevent.
Martin Venderwood: Atrial fibrillation maybe more common than is generally recognized, some patients may have the disease and experience no symptoms. Others may have occasional symptoms but don't report them. When Atrial fibrillation was described to the survey respondents, more than half could not name any symptoms associated with it. On an unaided basis, only 5% of respondents who reported they were aware of atrial fibrillation, mentioned heart palpitations, even though this is the most common symptom associated with this condition.
Graham McDonald: I had never heard of AF before I was diagnosed with it. When you sat there and explained to my kids in particular about what AF was, I tried to explain to them that it was just simply like a car engine that continuously fired out of sequence. Instead of my heartbeat going one, two, three, four, it would go one, four, two, three. That's what was causing all the problems in my body.
Martin Venderwood: In addition to symptoms, it's important for people to recognize the risk factors associated with atrial fibrillation. Heart valve disease and heart failure are definitely high on the list. But other more common conditions such as high blood pressure and excess weight could also be linked to atrial fibrillation. Having these risk factors does not necessarily mean that you will develop atrial fibrillation, but the likelihood of developing this condition does increase with age.
Dr. Paul Dorian: Atrial fibrillation can occur at any age, but it most often occurs in patients aged 65 and over, particularly when they are in their 70s or 80s. Atrial fibrillation is going to become more prevalent, some have called that an epidemic, because we have more baby boomers surviving to be 70 or 80 years old.
Martin Venderwood: Of the 115 respondents who reported they had been diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, 46% stated that this condition has a negative impact on their daily activities.
Graham McDonald: I was limited in my personal activities to no longer being able to do the sports that I like to do before. I found myself to be tired all the time, and just couldn't undertake them anymore. In working even around the house, you were no longer to do the chores around the house that you had done beforehand, even cutting the grass would tire you out. I found that I was continuously lethargic about everything I was doing, and that it just -- doing the basic things of everyday life tired me. By 10 o'clock at night I was just exhausted and had to go to bed.
After experiencing and understanding what AF is, I realize that I had it previously in my life in small bouts that had come intermittently in and out, not lasting for very long periods of time, but causing chest pains that I was aware of, and I just simply wrote it off to stress. Because it would go away after an hour or two, I didn't think anything of it, and I certainly never reported it to my doctor, which on hindsight I should have.
Dr. Paul Dorian: Atrial fibrillation often can present or can behave as an intermittent problem, so particularly for patients with high blood pressure and if they're older and are at risk for atrial fibrillation, if they suddenly develop rapid palpitations or other sudden onset of symptoms that last minutes or hours or days, and then go away, that is a sign that this could be atrial fibrillation and they should consult with their doctor.
Martin Venderwood: For more information, speak to your doctor or visit HeartAndStroke.ca, Martin Venderwood reporting.
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