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
Inherited (Familial) A-Fib: My Top 5 Articles
Some individuals are clearly more susceptible to developing Atrial Fibrillation than others (likely due to genetic variations in cell functions).
Recent studies suggest that up to 30 percent of all people with atrial fibrillation may have a history of the condition in their family. Researchers are working to determine which genetic changes may influence the risk of atrial fibrillation.
If you suspect inherited A-Fib, read the following to learn more:
1- Understanding A-Fib: Genetics, Will my children get A-Fib too?
2- Inherited A-Fib? Is it More Risky for Family Members?
3- FAQs: Can I Prevent Familial A-Fib with Diet? Supplements?
4- World-Wide Studies on Genetic A-Fib
5- Genetics of A-Fib—40% Increased Risk of Developing A-Fib If Relative Has It
Personal A-Fib Stories
Read about others with A-Fib that runs in their family. Go to A-Fib Patient Stories: Listed by Subject, and look for Causes, then Genetics/Heredity. Click on the number of any story and that page will open for you to read.
A-Fib.com 2017 Top-Rated by Healthline.com For Fourth Year
We are proud to announce, for the fourth year, Atrial Fibrillation: Resources for Patients (A-Fib.com) has been named to Healthline.com’s short list of 2017 Best A-Fib Blogs. (We proudly display our 2017 Best Blogs badge in our website’s right column.)
We also extend our congratulates to our friends who also made the list: Travis Van Slooten (Living with Atrial Fibrillation) Dr. John Mandrola (Dr. John M) and Mellanie True Hills (StopAFib.org).
Visit the Healthline The 2017 Best A-Fib Blogs to review all the winners.
OUR MISSION: A-Fib.com offers hope and guidance to empower patients to find their A-Fib cure or best outcome. We are your unbiased source of well-researched information on current and emerging Atrial Fibrillation treatments.
Updated: Steve’s Shopping Guides to A-Fib-Related Products
We’ve updated and expanded our page of Steve’s recommendations for A-Fib-related products. Steve’s shopping guides help you sort through the vast array of products of interest to A-Fib patients and their families. These brands and products are available from many online and other retailers.
We invite you to read more about the following shopping guides: Go to Steve’s Steve’s Shopping Guides to Recommended A-Fib-Related Products.
♥ A-Fib Survival Kit for the Newly Diagnosed
♥ A-Fib Reference Books and Guides
♥ Magnesium & Potassium Supplements for A-Fib patients
♥ Seven ‘Natural’ Supplements for a Healthy Heart
♥ DIY Heart Rate Monitors (HRMs)
Support A-Fib.com When You Shop Online
Use our Amazon.com portal link and support A-Fib.com at the same time (at no extra cost to you). Shop for anything, and your purchases generate a small commission which we apply to the maintenance costs of this website. Bookmark this link.
How to Buy Cheap Prescription Drugs Online by Travis Van Slooten
Our friend, Travis Van Slooten, over at Livingwithatrialfibrillation.com has written a comprehensive post about saving money on your prescription medications and why U.S. readers should consider buying online from Canada. Why? He sums it up in one word, cheap!
Best online price for Eliquis in U.S.
The same prescription drugs that you buy in the U.S. can be ordered for a fraction of the cost online from a Canadian pharmacy.
Follow Along: Step-by-Step Shopping Trip
As an example, Travis comparison shops the price of a 30-day supply of the anticoagulant Eliquis which retails for $484.40 in the U.S. The best U.S. price he found online was $404.87.
Read along as he shops at Canadian pharmacies (Canada Drugs, CanadaDrugPharmacy.com and YouDrugStore.com).
VIDEO: The post culminates with a 12 min. video as Travis places his Eliquis order at YouDrugStore. com for $129.99.
Is It Legit & Legal to Buy Prescriptions Online from Canada?
Well, the answer is yes! It is legit and it is legal. It is perfectly legal for a U.S. citizen to purchase prescription drugs from Canada. And it’s perfectly legal for Canadian pharmacies to sell U.S. citizens prescription drugs. Watch the video and you’ll see that everything is on the “up and up” and how seamless and painless the process is.
For all the details on how this works, read Travis’ detailed review at How To Buy Cheap Prescription Drugs Online.
A-Fib, Inc. Earns GuideStar Platinum Seal for Transparency and Accountability in the Non-Profit World
A-Fib Inc. has earned GuideStar’s highest rating, the GuideStar Exchange Platinum Seal, a leading symbol of transparency and accountability in the non-profit world.
In order for A-Fib, Inc. to earn the GuideStar Exchange Platinum Seal, we filled in all required and optional sections of the report pages for Bronze, Silver and Gold levels and uploaded requested and additional documents to our profile on www.guidestar.org, including our annual financial report, 990 IRS filings, corporate officers, incorporation documents, etc.
Our GuideStar seal is displayed at the bottom of every A-Fib.com page. To learn more about us, visit our A-Fib, Inc.’s GuideStar Profile.
About GuideStar USA, Inc.: GuideStar is the world’s largest source of information on nonprofit organizations and allows nonprofits to supplement the public information that is available from the IRS.
Caution: 1 in 10 Take Aspirin When They Shouldn’t (Warn your Family and Friends)
I have written about how aspirin is no longer recommended as first-line therapy to prevent A-Fib stroke. (See my Update: Aspirin No Longer Recommended as First-Line Therapy for Stroke Prevention.).
But it’s not just A-Fib patients who shouldn’t be on aspirin therapy for stroke prevention.
Data indicates more than 1 in 10 adults take aspirin when they shouldn’t.
Warn your family and friends who are taking daily aspirin: Maybe they shouldn’t be.
Aspirin, acetylsalicylic acid, is a pharmaceutical drug
50 Million in the US Take Aspirin for Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease
The problem with routinely taking aspirin, acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), is an increased risk of bleeding complications. More than one-third of all adults in the U.S. are now taking aspirin for primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD).
“Primary” means preventing a first event like a heart attack. “Secondary” means preventing a reoccurrence of an event, like a second stroke.
When Aspirin Therapy Is Appropriate
As a “primary” prevention, only patients with a moderate to high 10-year risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke should be on aspirin therapy (estimated using the ACC/AHA risk-prediction calculator or similar calculator).
Aspirin is recommended for “secondary” prevention.
When Aspirin Therapy Is Not Appropriate
Aspirin is not appropriate for adults who are at low risk of cardiovascular disease—defined by their 10-year stroke risk score. For these adults, the risks of gastrointestinal bleeding and hemorrhagic strokes outweigh any potential benefit.
“Among the more than 16,000 deaths each year linked to bleeding… about one-third of these deaths occur in those who take low-dose (81-mg) aspirin.” The 2014 an FDA statement warned against widespread use of aspirin in adults of average risk.
Aspirin is a Drug, Just Like Other Blood Thinners
It’s all too easy to take an aspirin―we don’t need a prescription to get it. But taking an aspirin isn’t like taking a vitamin. Aspirin, acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), is a pharmaceutical drug.
Warn Loved Ones Taking Daily Aspirin
Maybe they shouldn’t be! Instead of routinely taking aspirin, adults should discuss aspirin therapy with their doctor just as they’d do for any ‘by prescription’ blood thinner. (Hint: Take along a copy of this post.)
Caution: Suddenly stopping daily aspirin therapy could have a rebound effect that may trigger a blood clot. It’s important to talk to your doctor before making any changes.
A-Fib.com Glossary of Terms and Phrases: Recent Additions
Recent additions to our A-Fib.com Glossary of Medical Terms and Phrases:
Heart Failure:
A “failed” heart is NOT one that has suddenly stopped. Instead, it occurs when the heart is unable to pump enough blood to the other organs to satisfy their need for oxygen and nutrients. It usually manifests as tiredness and weakness, breathlessness and swelling of the legs and abdomen.
Atrial Kick:
The force or strength of the atrial contraction (which forces blood into the ventricles).
Fibrosis:
Fiber-like characteristics that develop in place of the normal smooth walls of the heart making you more vulnerable to A‑Fib…Over time it makes the heart stiff, less flexible and weak, overworks the heart, reduces pumping efficiency and leads to other heart problems…read the entire definition…
Check it out. Bookmark it! Refer to it often!
The A-Fib.com Glossary of Medical Terms and Phrases is the most complete online glossary devoted exclusively to Atrial Fibrillation. Each definition is written in everyday language—a great resource for patients and their families.
(See Glossary of Terms in the left menu.) If you don’t find the term you are looking for—email us and we’ll add it to our Glossary.
A-Fib.com HON Certified for 8th Year: ‘Health Information You Can Trust’
Once again, A-Fib.com has earned the Health On the Net Foundation (HON) Certification for quality and trustworthiness of medical and health online information. 
The Health On the Net Foundation (HON) Code of Conduct helps protect citizens from misleading health information.
The voluntary HONcode accreditation program sets out a standardized criterion of eight principles of good practice for health information web sites. Each applicant is checked for compliance by a review committee including medical professionals.
Our 2017-2018 Active Certification & Dynamic Seal
The A-Fib.com HON seal is displayed in the footer of our web page and is directly linked to the A-Fib.com HONcode certificate located on the HON website.
HON Certified: Websites You Can Trust
When browsing healthcare sites on the web, look for the HON Code certificate. Learn more at Health On the Net Foundation (HON) Certification.
High-Quality Illustration of the Heart’s Electrical System
Update March 24: The Cleveland Clinic has given us permission to host this graphic on A-Fib.com for the viewing and printing by our readers.
Print and keep this illustration handy for the next time you talk with your doctor about the workings of your heart. You can make notes directly on the picture.
Download the PDF file and store on your hard-drive. To have one handy when you need it, print and store copies in your “A-Fib Binder or folder“.
Video: You may also want to watch the video, How Your Heart Works and Understanding Arrhythmias, or one of several heart animations from our A-Fib.com Video & Animations Library.
Also see our Free Offers and Downloads page.
New FAQ: Do Ablations Only Treat A-Fib Symptoms and Not a “Cure”?
We’ve posted a new FAQ and answer about curing Atrial Fibrillation with catheter ablation versus successful drug therapy:
Q: “I’ve read that an ablation only treats A-Fib symptoms, that it isn’t a “cure.” If I take meds like flecainide which stop all A-Fib symptoms and have no significant side effects, isn’t that a ‘cure?’”
My answer: A successful catheter ablation doesn’t just treat A-Fib symptoms, it physically changes your heart.
Isolates PVs: An ablation closes off the openings around your pulmonary veins (PVs) so A-Fib signals from the Pulmonary Veins (PVs) can no longer get into your heart.
It electrically ‘isolates’ your PVs, and if successful and permanent, you should be protected from developing A-Fib that originates from your PVs (where most A-Fib originates).
Recurrence Rates: Older research showed that recurrence of A-Fib after an ablation occurred at a 7% rate out to five years. But this was before the use of the newer techniques of Contact Force Sensing catheters and CryoBalloon ablation which make more permanent lesion lines around your Pulmonary Veins.
Also, people with comorbidities, like sleep apnea…continue reading my answer…
