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

Doctors & patients are saying about 'Beat Your A-Fib'...

"If I had [your book] 10 years ago, it would have saved me 8 years of hell.”

Roy Salmon, Patient, A-Fib Free,
Adelaide, Australia

"This book is incredibly complete and easy-to-understand for anybody. I certainly recommend it for patients who want to know more about atrial fibrillation than what they will learn from doctors...."

Pierre Jaïs, M.D. Professor of Cardiology, Haut-Lévêque Hospital, Bordeaux, France

"Dear Steve, I saw a patient this morning with your book [in hand] and highlights throughout. She loves it and finds it very useful to help her in dealing with atrial fibrillation."

Dr. Wilber Su,
Cavanaugh Heart Center, Phoenix, AZ

"...masterful. You managed to combine an encyclopedic compilation of information with the simplicity of presentation that enhances the delivery of the information to the reader. This is not an easy thing to do, but you have been very, very successful at it."

Ira David Levin, heart patient,
Rome, Italy

"Within the pages of Beat Your A-Fib, Dr. Steve Ryan, PhD, provides a comprehensive guide for persons seeking to find a cure for their Atrial Fibrillation."

Walter Kerwin, MD, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA

Learn How A-Fib Robs You of Your Heart Health: Let Me Count the 11 Ways

Published June 2, 2026

I first published this in 2021, but we all (especially newer A-Fib readers) should be reminded of the cost of staying in Atrial Fibrillation (instead of seeking your cure). Remember: Aim for a cure, not a life on medication.

Atrial Fibrillation is a disease of the heart but affects your overall health as well. It is often said, “A-Fib begets A-Fib”. It’s a progressive disease and is self-perpetuating.

Here are the many ways A-Fib can rob you of your heart health:

1. Risk of stroke. The biggest danger from A-Fib is stroke. Because your heart isn’t pumping out properly, blood can pool in your atria then form clots that travel to the brain causing stroke. Use of anticoagulant drugs reduce, but don’t eliminate, the risk of an A-Fib stroke. Anticoagulants are high risk drugs. They don’t cure or improve your A-Fib.

A-Fib reduces your heart’s pumping ability by 15%–30% decreasing blood flow to the brain….

2. Reduced Blood Circulation. A-Fib reduces your heart’s pumping ability by 15%–30%, decreasing blood flow to the brain and to the rest of the body. This may cause weakness, fatigue, dizziness, brain fog, fainting spells, swelling of the legs, and shortness of breath. Over time, reduced blood circulation contributes to many other health issues.

3. Fibrosis (Structural Remodeling). Over time A-Fib produces fiber-like scar tissue in place of the normal smooth walls of the heart. Fibrosis makes the heart stiff, less flexible and weak with a loss of atrial muscle mass. …Continue reading about the 11 Ways A-Fib Robs You of Your Health.