Doctors & patients are saying about 'A-Fib.com'...
"A-Fib.com is a great web site for patients, that is unequaled by anything else out there."
Dr. Douglas L. Packer, MD, FHRS, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
"Jill and I put you and your work in our prayers every night. What you do to help people through this [A-Fib] process is really incredible."
Jill and Steve Douglas, East Troy, WI
“I really appreciate all the information on your website as it allows me to be a better informed patient and to know what questions to ask my EP.
Faye Spencer, Boise, ID, April 2017
“I think your site has helped a lot of patients.”Dr. Hugh G. Calkins, MD Johns Hopkins,
Baltimore, MD
FAQs Understanding A-Fib: Genetics
“Is my Atrial Fibrillation genetic? Will my children get A-Fib too?”
Genetic research in A-Fib, though in its preliminary stages, has the potential to be a game changer for patients with A-Fib. But right now we just don’t have a definitive answer to your question.
A-Fib does run in families. Do you have a parent or other family member with A-Fib? Research has found that, if you have any immediate family with A-Fib, you have a 40% increased risk of developing A-Fib yourself. And the younger that family member was when they got A-Fib, the more likely you are to develop A-Fib. Following the logic of this research, your children may be 40% more likely to develop A-Fib.
While the gene that increases the tendency for Familial A-Fib has been identified, there hasn’t been enough research on the genetics of A-Fib to say whether or not you will pass it on to your children.
To learn more about how A-Fib can run in families, read a few of our Personal A-Fib stories: Jon Darsee (#68), Pat Truesdale (#63), Jan Claire (#39), Barry Gordon (#22), and James Adams (#13). You may want to read about Roger Meyer and Three Generations with AFib (see our book, Beat Your A-Fib, page 110).
Go back to FAQ Understanding A-Fib
Last updated: June 18, 2018
