it’s a bit scary when you read on the internet
Different comments on how it can shorten your life .
Mine is well controlled I’m 73 on medication had it about 7 years .
Any help or comments.
.
life expectancy : it’s a bit scary when... - Atrial Fibrillati...
life expectancy
Written by
olqp
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37 Replies
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I'm not too sure about shortening life. My feelings are that when you have a heart problem diagnosis you are more likely to take extra care of your health.
I totally agree with you Jalia.
I also agree. Determined from the outset to use AF as a driver to push me into making positive lifestyle changes which fingers crossed will extend my life.
in reply to Jalia
I agree with that. I was already beginning to think that it was time to start getting more serious about my health, having reached 65, but AFib really kicked that thought into high gear and at the moment it's looking life changing for me....in a good way!
I’m not medically trained olqp, but as I understand it, provided your AF is controlled by medication and/or a procedure such as an ablation, then it should not reduce your life expectancy. However, if your heart beats consistently at rates above 100 bpm then the heart it likely to become enlarged and eventually, heart failure may develop (which isn’t as dramatic as it sounds) but can cause other problems to the heart and other organs which, over time could reduce life expectancy. Similarly, if your condition is such that you have been prescribed anticoagulants and you do not take them then this will increase the risk of stroke which can also impact on life expectancy. As I say, that’s my understanding of what we are told by medics but it will be interesting to hear what others say…..
Ducky2003 in reply to
Agree, it's the issues AF can cause that may be more serious.Mine has caused enlargement and subsequently a mitral valve issue which now needs to be repaired.
Thanks for sharing, Ducky !
May I ask if you are in persistent AFib, how long and your heart rate ?
I was diagnosed 1.5 years ago with paroxsymal then persistent
Looking back I feel like I had AFib much longer but was asymptomatic.
My AF started 6 years ago. Out of the blue.Started as paroxysmal but with RVR so my pulse could reach 250bpm. Been persistent for about 2 years. Had a few cardioversions and had a cryoablation last year, which lasted 3 weeks. That's when they detected there was something not right with the valve but I had to wait another 6 months to get an echo.
AF has caused left atrium to enlarge, stretching the framework around the valve so it no longer closes as well as it should.
They are supposed to be doing a Cox IV maze at the same time, which hopefully will naff off the AF for good.
Don't know of the outcome would have been different had they picked it up sooner.
Never believe all that Dr Google tells you.
I am 75 and have had AF off & on for over 30 years. I have also survived 7 ablations and about 20 cardioversions, both procedures said by some small print to be risky.
All seems to be fine with my general condition and I am not planning to die any time soon.
With access to my heart specialist I reckon I am in a better position than many who know nothing about their potential ill health.
Pete
It's so understandable to be concerned when you read some of the stuff about AFib on the Internet. I was guilty of that and probably made my condition worse by doing it! Best thing I did was go to a private electrophysiologist for a consultation. He explained the condition specifically in terms of my health and similarly the risks, treatment options and medium/long term prognosis. Key message - AFib will not kill you. It can cause serious complications and/or conditions IF it is not treated. Sounds like yours is so try to relax a bit, it will help.
I'm sure I've read some where that life expectancy could be longer. It makes sense to me that awareness of our heart health earlier could prevent issues later in life. Good diet, weight, lifestyle, stroke prevention, ablations, reduced alcohol consumption etc. should all help towards longevity I would have thought. Whatever the outcome, at least we can say we tried.
Don't read on the Internet!
Worry will shorten your life more than AFib! So dont worry!
It will also make your quality of life worse too.
I've had AF since 1995 and a stroke two years ago. I am still here at the age of 76.Nobody should be concerned about probable life expectancy.
First you could be knocked down by a car today or tomorrow, and you cannot plan when you expect to die. Sad but true.
Second, you are just as likely to suffer a sudden fatal attack of something undiagnosed as you are of something known, like AF. Doctors aren't perfect and neither do patients know about their own hidden problems.
Third, the more you fear dying tomorrow or a year from now, the less your life will mean to you and the less you can enjoy the present. And again, nobody knows, not your doctor, not your specialist.
Fourth, concentrate on your quality of life and healthy life style. Even if you don't live longer, it is always going to make you feel better.
Fifth, even if someone could guarantee to you today that you will live for another twenty years, would it really make that much difference to how you live your life today?
It's so easy to come up with rational reasons of course, but be assured, we all have the same fears. But the advice not to think about it is very sound.
I'm probably the most pessimistic person around here, but if I know it makes sense, then I am sure you do too!
🦊
Best Post I've ever seen on this forum! Bravo oscarfox49
I am in the position that flapjack puts forward as a scenario. I have had AF since my late 20s and it has never been controlled. It's been persistent for over a decade.I'm not in heart failure (not yet anyways) but heart is enlarged and EF reduced. AND I am planning to keep on going.
I've just had 2 unsuccessful ablations in quick succession so recovering from that but exercising daily and taking care of myself... I walk, swim, do pilates, yoga, dance, meditation and have a healthy diet. Hoping for a third ablation. And/ or a change of meds that might keep the rate under control even if we don't achieve normal sinus rhythm.
I also understand it can feel scary, daunting, sometimes overwhelming. Been there myself a few times over the years.
My FIL also has AFIB has been on meds for 30 years, is 86 and going strong.He still runs a chainsaw, makes maple syrup on 10 acres, and is a happy guy.
"Afib Chainsaw In-law" -- if that's not a song title, then I've never reached puberty and would like to know where babies come from.
Copyright first dibs! ... *as I pick up my Taylor and start into some blues riffs...a drop D song me thinks* 😆
Sadly, no one can copyright a song title (I wish we could), but that one's yours!
Sadly, I know this too well...I use a handy app called "Ultimate guitar tabs" and when searching for songs like "Crazy" and "Addicted" , "Alive" , "Stay"....there is a LOT of choices. 😆....but so far? No "Crazy Chainsaw AFIB Bruce blues"...in Dm
I had to mention the copyright thing because, coincidentally, I made my living for decades as a studio keyboardist, programmer, arranger and song doctor. Because I'm also a fiction writer (my horror collection was nominated for a Bram Stoker), I was uniquely suited to improving the songs of artists who hired me.
Occasionally, you'd have an inexperienced artist who blabbed to their friends -- or even to people in bars in New York City! -- about some crisp new title we'd come up with together. And unless our song was scheduled to come out within that six months, the inexperienced artist would soon learn that a song with the same title and concept had been released, usually on an independent label that approved releases faster.
I've also had that happen with book titles. A science fiction writer -- my best friend at the time -- wanted to use a title I'd mentioned in passing. I told him no, so he passive-aggressively suggested to James O'Barr that he use the title for a graphic novel series, which he did (though he isn't to blame). Needless to shriek, that science fiction writer and I are no longer friends.
I don't think this is the kind of title that vultures descend on hungrily, but if only you could copyright it, that would be even better.
I actually ghost-wrote a song for XXXXX [insert name of famous musician who has series of guitars and basses by Fender named after him regularly], but I'm not supposed to talk about that!
LOL....I have NO issues..reissues, or specials named after me...but in todays Gibson/Fender wars, who DOESN'T have a guitar spec'd and signed by them. 😜
This is a different situation. These are mass-produced, multiple lines of Fender guitars that are sold everywhere. I don't really understand it, TBH, because I never thought of him as a guitar hero. But apparently, millions of people do.
I stand to lose three years of expectancy with a genetic disorder anyway without more for Afib 😭😭😭🤣🤣🤣🤣
As I was just saying in a different context, do not read Joan Didion's The Year of Magical Thinking if you have afib. Didion's an excellent writer -- one of the best in any postmodern graduate lit course, in my incredibly humble opinion -- but when it comes to afib, the internet is bad enough! You don't need her scaring you, too!
Early in my AF my GP told me it's life changing but not life threatening. That helped me.
I agree with those who say AF can be a positive thing if we take better care of ourselves and are more attentive to our lifestyle. I would add to that to take care of our soul. Consider the three basic questions of life and find the answers: Who am I? Why am I here? Where am I going?
Take heart, no pun intended. It can have great purpose.
My father has had AFIB many years, he's now pushing 84. Not worried about it. In this world, the Lord taking me sooner is a better deal anyway!
If Google says that we have a 20% increased risk of dying earlier than average, that means that we have an 80% chance of living longer. Concentrate on the positive!
Hiya,
Naaah ! well not for this guy .... happily. I was diagnosed with paroxysmal AF in January 2010, aged 65 and a few months. In September 2022 I turn 78. I still drive buses although have started to slow down the hours I put in. I have had elements of good fortune in my treatment, like .... being diagnosed with treatment started in around 9 hours of onset !
Over the years I have managed to highly control AF with meds and diet, eating sensible food which doesn't inflame/aggravate my vagal nerve.
I also seriously monitor some key indicators of trouble, particularly blood pressure. Not AF related but I also monitor my blood sugar ( diabetes killed my Dad, he was aged 78).
I see absolutely no reason why I can't chase my paternal grandmothers age of 102. I may not get close to that target but I'm gonna chase it, for sure.
John
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