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
My Top 5 Articles About Warfarin Therapy, Associated Risks and Alternatives
Any treatment plan for Atrial Fibrillation must address the increased risk of clots and stroke. By far the most commonly used medicine for stroke prevention is the anticoagulant warfarin (brand name Coumadin).
But warfarin is a tough drug to take long term with monthly blood tests and possible side effects. These are my top 5 articles to help you understand warfarin therapy, the associated risks and some of the alternatives.
Review these articles to learn more about Warfarin therapy:
1. Clinical Trials Results: Watchman Better Than a Lifetime on Warfarin;
2. Arterial Calcification From Warfarin: Vitamin K May Reverse it;
4. How to Avoid the Bleeding Risk of Anticoagulants;
5. If Sixty and Older: 99% Have Microbleeds—So Are Anticoagulants Risky?
Bonus: Video about Warfarin
Living with Warfarin: Patient Education
Excellent introduction to anticoagulant therapy with warfarin (Coumadin). Patients and medical professionals (clinical nurse, doctors, a pharmacist and clinical dietician) discuss the practical issues associated with taking warfarin. (16:22) Uploaded on Mar 7, 2011. Produced by Johns Hopkins Medicine.
An Alternative to Blood Thinners
The WATCHMAN device
Do you hate having to take Coumadin? Hate the monthly testing? Bothered by side effects? An alternative to taking blood thinners is closing off your Left Atrial Appendage (LAA) with the Watchman, an occlusion device. Learn more: The Watchman™ Device: The Alternative to Blood Thinners.
My Top 5 Picks: Intro A-Fib Videos for the Newly Diagnosed
The A-Fib.com Video Library is for those readers who learn visually through motion graphics, audio, personal interviews and animations.
These are my top 5 picks of basic videos for the newly diagnosed patient or anyone who wants to better understand Atrial Fibrillation. Great for the A-Fib patient’s family, friends and co-workers.
1. Introduction to How a Normal Heart Pumps Blood
A short video about the path of a red blood cell through the heart’s four chambers to deliver oxygen to the body and then return to be re-oxygenated. Animation with narration.
(Don’t worry about remembering the terminology, just follow the flow of the red blood cell). Published by The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. (1:00 min.)
2. Stroke Prevention in A-Fib and Anticoagulant Therapy
Through interviews and animations explains how atrial fibrillation can cause stroke and why anticoagulation is so important; Discussion of: warfarin (Coumadin), the required monitoring, interactions with food, alcohol and other drugs: newer anticoagulants (NOACs) that do not require regular testing, aren’t affected by foods [but are expensive]. The need for anticoagulation is an important decision to be made with your doctor. On-camera interviews with AF Association CEO, Trudie Lobban MBE and other experts (5:36) Developed in association with the drug maker, Boehringer Ingelheim.
3. The EKG Signal and Conduction System of the Heart
Excellent illustration of the heart and a fully labeled graphic of the ‘Conduction System of the Heart’. Descriptive text accompanies each step in the animation. Step 2 animates a normally beating heart and shows the electrical signal path. Along side is the corresponding EKG tracing (signal) in perfect sync. The 3rd step shows the same heart but this time in Atrial Fibrillation. Along side is the EKG tracing of the heart in A-Fib with the EKG of a normal heart below it. From the American Heart Association website.
4. About Magnesium Deficiency with Dr. Carolyn Dean
C. Dean, MD
Most A-Fib patients are deficient in Magnesium. “The Best Way to Supplement Magnesium” with Dr. Carolyn Dean, the author of The Magnesium Miracle. Getting nutrients through food is not always possible; discusses side effects of too much and how you can tell if you have a deficiency. (3:39). See also: “Importance of Balancing Calcium & Magnesium“: Why you need to have both in the body; the problem of ‘calcium overload’. (1:00)
5. When Drug Therapy Fails: Why Patients Consider Catheter Ablation
Dr. Susan M. Sharma discusses why patients with atrial fibrillation turn to ablation when drug therapy doesn’t work. Dr. Sharma presents research findings about the success rate of catherter ablation. Includes transcript of the narration. (3:00 min.) From Insidermedicine.com.
Disclaimer: Videos provided for your convenience only; we make no endorsement of a specific treatment, physician or medical facility.
Visit our A-Fib.com Video Library
for more introductory-level videos
Steve Ryan Videos:
We’ve edited Steve’s most interesting radio and TV interviews to create several short (3-5 min.) videos. Check out Videos Featuring Steve S. Ryan, PhD, publisher of A-Fib.com.
Like Videos? Browse our A-Fib Library of Videos and Animations
We have loads of A-Fib-related videos in our Video Library. For the reader who learns visually through motion graphics, audio, and personal interviews, these short videos are organized loosely into three levels: introductory/basic, intermediate and in-depth/advanced. Click to browse our video library.
Click image to go to video
Steve Ryan Videos: We’ve edited Steve’s most interesting radio and TV interviews to create several short (3-5 min.) videos. Check out Videos Featuring Steve S. Ryan, PhD, publisher of A-Fib.com.
A Popular Video: ‘Buyer Beware of Misleading or Inaccurate A-Fib Information’
Beware of misleading and incorrect A-Fib information published by reputable sources on the internet and in print media. Steve S. Ryan, PhD, gives three specific examples of why you need to be on the lookout for inaccurate statements about Atrial Fibrillation. 3:59 min. Click to Watch video.
‘Doctor Health’ Radio: A-Fib Patients & Common Mineral Deficiencies
INTERVIEW: Dr David Snow, host of Doctor Health Radio, talks with Steve S. Ryan, PhD, publisher of A-Fib.com, about magnesium and potassium deficiencies, both common among A-Fib patients; how ‘calcium overload’ can actually bring on Atrial Fibrillation; other supplements to promote a healthy heart; and a few warnings for A-Fib patients.
Video Format: radio interview with lower third graphic titles.
Length: 5:27 min. Click to listen in.
VIDEO LIBRARY: We have loads of A-Fib-related videos in our Video Library. For the reader who learns visually through motion graphics, audio, and personal interviews, these videos are organized loosely into three levels: introductory/basic, intermediate and in-depth/advanced.
See our video library for more videos featuring Steve S. Ryan, PhD.
Videos: Dr. Carolyn Dean Discusses Magnesium Deficiency
Video: Importance of Balancing Calcium & Magnesium Dr. Carolyn Dean.
Magnesium information for A-Fib patients. We’ve two videos to our A-Fib Video Library featuring Dr. Carolyn Dean, author of The Magnesium Miracle, talking about magnesium deficiency and calcium overload:
“The Best Way to Supplement Magnesium” with Dr. Carolyn Dean. Getting nutrients through food is not always possible; discusses side effects of too much Mg and how you can tell if you have a deficiency.(3:39) Go to video. From iHealthTube.com.
“Importance of Balancing Calcium & Magnesium”. Dr. Dean discusses the importance of balancing your intake of magnesium and calcium (2:1); the benefits of both and why you need to have both in the body; the problem of ‘calcium overload’. (2:30) Go to video. From iHealthTube.com.
VIDEO: My Family’s A-Fib was Misdiagnosed for Years
Susan Klein A-Fib free
A new video and a new personal A-Fib story. Susan Klein writes that A-Fib runs in her family.
“I come from a long line of people with cardiac rhythm disorders. As I write this, I am 67, female and live in Chicago. At age 42, I realized I hadn’t escaped the family ‘curse’―referred to as “it” or “the mouse running around in my chest.”
Misdiagnosed for Years
Watching my family members suffer with “it”, convinced me that doctors were powerless to stop it. It took me a long time to seek medical advice; and when I first did, I was misdiagnosed.” Continue reading her personal A-Fib story.
Includes a video featuring Susan talking about her ablation using the FIRM mapping system pioneered by her Stanford cardiologist, Dr. Sanjiv Narayan.
NEW! Videos Featuring Steve S. Ryan, PhD
Steve has appeared on many radio and TV shows talking about Atrial Fibrillation. We’ve edited the best and most interesting segments of these original programs to create several short (3-5 min.) videos. Each includes a description with the topics covered. To browse Steve’s videos, go to: Videos Featuring Steve S. Ryan, PhD, Publisher of A-Fib.com.
We encourage you to SHARE Steve’s videos with others and to post links to your online accounts. Help spread the word about Atrial Fibrillation: Resources for Patients, A-Fib.com!
TWO VIDEOS About Magnesium Deficiency with Dr. Carolyn Dean
We’ve added two videos to our A-Fib Video Library featuring Dr. Carolyn Dean, author of The Magnesium Miracle, talking about magnesium deficiency and calcium overload:
“The Best Way to Supplement Magnesium” with Dr. Carolyn Dean. Getting nutrients through food is not always possible; discusses side effects of too much Mg and how you can tell if you have a deficiency.(3:39) Go to video. From iHealthTube.com.
“Importance of Balancing Calcium & Magnesium”. Dr. Dean discusses the importance of balancing your intake of magnesium and calcium (2:1); the benefits of both and why you need to have both in the body; the problem of ‘calcium overload’. (2:30) Go to video. From iHealthTube.com.
Video: The Best Way to Supplement Magnesium with Dr. Carolyn Dean
For those with magnesium deficient diets, getting nutrients through food is not always possible. Dr. Carolyn Dean, author of The Magnesium Miracle, talks about the external use of magnesium oil and Epson salts and the various powder and tablets to supplement magnesium.
She covers the side effects of too much Mg and how you can tell if you have a Mg deficiency. (3:39 min.) From iHealthTube.com.
YouTube video playback controls: When watching this video, you have several playback options. The following controls are located in the lower right portion of the frame: Turn on closed captions, Settings (speed/quality), Watch on YouTube website, and Enlarge video to full frame. Click an icon to select.
If you find any errors on this page, email us. Y Last updated: Friday, September 1, 2017
Video: Steve S. Ryan on Atrial Fibrillation: A-Fib Can be Cured!
Resources & Links
Video: Steve S. Ryan on Atrial Fibrillation: A-Fib Can be Cured!
Steve Ryan and host Skip E. Lowe talk about the heart in Atrial Fibrillation: how the quivering heart muscle leads to reduced blood flow to the brain and other organs, to re-shaping (remodeling) over time, and the importance of seeking treatment. Dr. Ryan describes how his A-Fib was cured by catheter ablation in 1998. 3:31 min.
About Steve S. Ryan, PhD: An advocate for patients with Atrial Fibrillation, Dr. Ryan is publisher of the patient education website ‘Atrial Fibrillation: Resources for Patients’ (A-Fib.com), author of the award-winning book, ‘Beat Your A-Fib: The Essential Guide to Finding Your Cure’ (BeatYourA-Fib.com) and known as The A-Fib Coach for his one-to-one mentoring of A-Fib patients.
Return to Videos Featuring Steve S. Ryan, PhD
Last updated: Tuesday, April 21, 2015
