Can Af damage heart muscles.

[Geoff70]

Hello everyone,

Wrote just over a week ago describing my condition and thank you for those of you who replied.

Something that has concerned me and unable to get information, relates to the affect Af has on the heart muscles when you have had it on and off over a period of time.

Has anyone got any advice,information or had any experiences with this situation?

[BobD Volunteer]

Hi Graham. prolonged , continuous untreated AF can cause cardiomyopathy (thickening of the heart muscle) or as is sometimes called "enlarged heart". The good news is that successful treatment can allow this to return to normal . As I always say ,my EP told me that there are three things to remember about AF. 1) It won't kill you, 2) it won't kill you and 3) no it won't kill you. Might feel like it sometimes though.lol

Relax.

Bob

[Geoff70 in reply to BobD]

Thank you Bob for the reassuring news. It has been treated in different ways throughout the period of my Af, so I feel fairly confident about the future. Will remember your EP's advice!!!

Thanks Geoff

[Roseyuk in reply to BobD]

Actually it can, Bob.. If you are not coagulated,, can cause stroke, and rare cases Heart Attack

Just been reading a post in this subject, about a guy that had a heart blood clot, when in AF..

Ok you say he may have been in the cards for a HA .. Anyway..

I was unfortunate to have a H A .. In 2004, .and Dx with AF

Within a year..

❤️

[BobD Volunteer in reply to Roseyuk]

Agreed but that was not the question and one hopes that anybody with AF and a risk is anticoagulated.

[Beancounter Volunteer]

Hi Geoff

As always sage advice from Bob, I am going to add a very slight note of caution if I may.

One of the challenges of being in AF is that the left atria enlarges, as Bob says, this is cardiomyopathy, and does return to normal if you go back into NSR, well sort of, and most of the time. The challenge is that if you are in peristent long term AF then there is a possibility that the atria may become too enlarged and this can then cause other heart problems, and there is not really a lot of studies about the long term effect to my knowledge.

Do ask for an echocardiogram, that will measure the size of the left Atria, do ask for another every couple of years to compare, you will then have a line in the sand to see understand the longer term effects

Be well

Ian

[Geoff70 in reply to Beancounter]

Many thanks Ian. I had an echocardiogram about 3 years ago when I was in hospital, before I was discharged and there were no major problems. When I have asked since, they say it would be difficult to get a true reading if I was in Af.

Geoff

[farmerwalt]

Hi Geoff,

I would also echo Bob and Ian's remarks above.

I have been Paroxysmal and then Permanent AF for over 40 years. My original Cardio tried a few drugs that didn't work and many echo's eventually doing one about every three months. He was obviously checking my dilated cardiomyopathy progression.

I don't quite agree with them saying it would be difficult to get a true reading of your heart just because you are in af. The current echo machines are very advanced and well able to carry out all the calculations about heart chamber size, ejection fraction etc. Don't know if youv'e had ablations done yet. If not then I would push to get that done to try and correct the af asap.

By the time I eventually found out about ablation, thanks to AFA patients day, I had been persistent af too long. As well as the DCM I now have a degree of heart failure and recently had pacemaker implanted to try to slow down the progression of that.

Better to try and get the af sorted out and then as Bob says, that could hopefully reverse your cardiomyopathy.

Would love to hear your progress.

Walter.

[Geoff70 in reply to farmerwalt]

Thank you Walter. Just to let know that in my earlier posting I had said that I had had 3 ablations and 1 cardioversion and my medication has kept my AF under reasonable and comfortable control. I am reasonably satisfied that my condition is not having too much of a detrimental effect. Certainly by comparison with some of the conditions faced by our friends, I am very fortunate to have a reasonable lifestyle. However your comments and suggestions are certainly something to keep in mind.

Thanks once again.

Geoff

[Barb1]

I had cardiomyopathy due to AF. Now in SR and cardiomyopathy improved so I 'just' have heart failure. If I go back into AF again then the cardiomyopathy could return.

[Geoff70 in reply to Barb1]

Thank you Barb for your comments.

Regards

Geoff