Doctors & patients are saying about 'A-Fib.com'...
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Dr. Douglas L. Packer, MD, FHRS, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
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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 A-Fib? Is it More Risky for Family Members?
Many A-Fib patients wonder if they will pass their Atrial Fibrillation on to their offspring. Called Familial A-Fib, your first-degree family members are at higher risk of developing A-Fib.
Several studies have shown an association of genetic variants with A-Fib and indicated that Familial A-Fib increases the risk of developing A-Fib. Familial A-Fib may account for as many as 20% of A-Fib patients.
But there is good news. A Danish registry study found that a diagnosis of Familial A-Fib carries no greater risk of death and stroke than in the general Atrial Fibrillation population.
The Danish Familial A-Fib Study
The study from Danish nationwide registry data included 8,658 patients diagnosed with A-Fib from 1995 through 2012 with both parents known, matched 1:1 for familial A-Fib status as well as age, year of A-Fib diagnosis, and sex.
Study Findings: Compared with the entire A-Fib registry population, the familial A-Fib patients were less likely to be female (21% women versus the overall registry’s 47% women) and were younger at diagnosis (median age 50 vs 77).
An element to be taken into account is that families with long life expectancy, for any reason, may be at higher risk for familial A-Fib due to the longevity of relatives.
What Patients Need to Know
We have heard of many fathers and sons and sets of brothers with A-Fib as well as three-generations with A-Fib.
If you have Atrial Fibrillation, your first-degree family members (parents, siblings, offspring) may have Atrial Fibrillation and not know it. They may have ‘silent A-Fib’ with no or few apparent symptoms but with an increased risk of stroke.
Be your family’s health advocate. Encourage family members to discuss Familial A-Fib with their doctors. A-Fib is usually easy to detect by taking your pulse and/or by an electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG). Early detection and treatment may avoid early health complications and prevent a cardiovascular event (i.e. A-Fib-related stroke).
For more about Familial A-Fib, see FAQs: Can I Prevent Familial A-Fib with Diet? Supplements?
Does A-Fib Run in Your Family?
Would you share your A-Fib story with our readers? We would love to hear from you. Our Personal Experiences stories are one of the most visited areas of A-Fib.com. Email me and tell me your story. (Or, read how to write and submit your A-Fib story.)
