news.sky.com/story/astonish...
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AFib increase: news.sky.com/story... - Atrial Fibrillati...
AFib increase
Written by
KMRobbo
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52 Replies
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BobDVolunteer
Well AFA have been saying for ever that the true numbers are likely to be much higher than reported due to the vast numbers of undiagnosed people. The work the society has done lobbying government and "awareness weeks " etc has definitely increased proper diagnosis as has campaigns such as Know Your Pulse.
For most of us it seems utterly incongruous that a person could be unaware that they had AF but I remember at our tenth anniversary party at the Palace of Westminster in 2017 hearing that if we could have proper screening for AF by GPs we could save 8000 preventable strokes a year. The work continues.
In conjunction with the cardiac team at the Epsom and St Helier Hospital Group, I have been involved in a number of pulse check days where they invite the public to have their pulses checked at public events and it’s quite alarming how many have AF and are totally unaware. I too was unaware when I was diagnosed back in 2014……
KMRobbo in reply to
Yes, I was unaware too until my Running HR watch told me In as 165 bpm sat down when not running! I understand that but the increase in scale is what has surpised me, particularly as recently the NHS has been struggling to keep up with the urgent things it needs to do.
Makes me think its probably an even bigger problem than published!
Rosie1066 in reply to
I also live in Epsom and St Helier Trust area but have never been aware of pulse check days.
They used to be well advsertised on here by Flapjack and others but covid got in the way then the group closed down due to lack of a medical lead.
in reply to Rosie1066
Pre Covid there were at least 3 in the Ashley Centre and around 2 at the Hook Arena area.
Seems some sort of neglect here and AF has been pushed under the carpet. Let’s hope this has some effect on getting some better care, but don’t hold your breath.
The most scary fact is that through no fault of their own, thousands of people are at risk of having a stroke as borne out by stats.
I agree with the comment that smart watches are pushing the figures up as people become aware, if not of AF directly, but of a rapid, perhaps irregular, pulse.
Steve
I think that far more people are catching the episodes of AFib with smart watches etc. I suspected that I might have it for a while, runs in the family, but it never got caught on ECG. Three months into having an Apple Watch and I had a diagnosis.
Good point
I hadn't realised that so many were undiagnosed as I immediately know when something is wrong. That said, my first few episodes were put down to my hiatus hernia and acid gastric symptoms rather than my heart.
Steve
I got a bit dizzy for a while, then I did have the odd ‘wading through treacle’ day. Main problem was not really recognising the palpitations for what they were, despite it being so prevalent in my family. I should have looked into it far more, though I did see the GP a few times. Had some further tests about ten years ago, which only showed some ectopics. Thing is catching it during an episode and it never happened.
It’s annoying, as I wonder if catching it earlier might have led to a successful ablation, but there’s nothing I can do about that now. I definitely think this is an increase in diagnosis, rather than a straightforward increase in prevalence. At least that is mentioned in the article, but of course it doesn’t make such a catchy headline. Especially these days when people love to lay the blame on certain disease prevention interventions, though seldom on the disease itself. (Which can certainly cause problems!)
I never feel dizzy or like wading through treacle, only anxious and aware of the fast beat, maybe also slightly “huffy” like having to breathe more deeply or something rather than out of breath as such.
I agree with you about prevalence, although perhaps increased obesity is not helping as that seems to me to be society’s current big health issue.
Steve
I don’t get out of breath, but sometimes have a feeling that I need to yawn to get a deep breath. I still remember the GP sending me in to hospital when I eventually got the diagnosis. I was sitting there quite relaxed with heart rate jumping up to 170. Didn’t feel it! Now it’s diagnosed I am more aware.
I am in the overweight category, though have got BMI down to 26 - 27. Never been obese though. Blood pressure on low side, heart rate was always low-ish, no problems with blood sugar or cholesterol. Just didn’t fit the algorithms well enough. Trouble is it is a mongrel condition and not everyone fits the picture. The family connection, then a retinal vein occlusion just didn’t tick any boxes at all.
At least there seems to be a lot more research into it now.
A lot more research but a vastly poorer health system. It’s such a shame. I do feel now that we’ve been let down politically.
Steve
It’s a political hot potato. They all say that they will protect the NHS, but then say they won’t raise taxes, for fear of losing votes. Just seems to be about gaining and keeping power. Needs so much investment now that I fear we are going to lose something precious.
Media doesn’t exactly help either - mainstream or social media. It seems like there is far more to be gained by polarising opinion etc. It makes me feel really sad.
This is interesting - when asked I would always say I’m not breathless and since getting a Kardia I’ve realised I don’t always feel the heart rate when it’s high (170) but whilst I’m. It breathless or struggling for breath I do feel some affect to breathing like it’s just not quite right and when I feel this, even if I don’t feel my heart bellyflopping, low and behold I’m in AF alright
My old GP spent ten years at least telling me I had stomach issues when I complained of a bubbly sensation. It was not till I moved house and my new GP 's mother had AF so she was aware of it and diaganosed the first time I saw her. Far too many ladies of a certain age are told they have anxiety! Education is everything
SIMILAR, when I told a cariologist I have a futtery feeling in my upper chest which I had linked to the start of an AFib episode, I got told it was propbably indigestion!
😂 You just have to laugh sometimes.
And not just ladies. I think anxiety is at the centre of many of our ills but it really is the doctor’s job to work out when it isn’t or when it’s only a complicating part of the whole. My stomach issues have been the bane of my life at times and I still wonder if they haven’t upset the heart, somehow.
The problem with the heart is that it’s so blinking well hidden behind the ribs and can’t be seen; on top of that, its ills often come and go and are never there when we want them to be - in front of a doctor. I just bought a new little home ECG monitor today and was keen to use it but my heart has been playing perfectly all day so it was a bit boring! I wasn’t exactly willing it to play up, though, either!
Steve
I suspect it is a combination of lack of diagnosis in the past and the increasingly unhealthy life styles of most Britons (and other nationalities of course!)
Whenever I went to my GP in the UK I was told (for decades, probably) : 'It's just palpitations caused by nerves/stress. Nothing to worry about' and it took a very extreme occurrence of racing heartbeat and AF with a hospital admission to put me on to a rate control medication. Nobody ever mentioned the risk of stroke at that time! No prescription of anticoagulant.
Even in France my doctor used to comment on my being out of sinus rhythm, 'but that's not anything to worry about', and he thought soluble aspirin was a perfectly adequate safeguard.
The inevitable happened three years ago, and I was fortunate indeed to survive that, and now everybody seems to understand that AF is a potentially very serious condition that needs anti coagulation.
If the Sky report makes more people aware of the dangers that can only be a very good thing.
Similar to my story too, but I’m very relieved that I avoided the stroke. Very glad that you recovered. I did get a retinal vein occlusion, which was likely down to this - but diagnosis took another three years still. Luckily it was very successfully treated.
I remember saying at the time that I felt like a ticking time bomb. Yet I was told that I was too young to get the anticoagulant anyway, as I didn’t have other risk factors. Was pleased to score those two points with age and gender, and relieved to be on an anti-coagulant now!
The first time I heard stroke was an issue was probably 2008, a year after I joined AF Association. Mind you I had been on warfarin since three months before first ablation in 2005.
Me too. I had no idea that stroke was actually an issue as I thought that only happened to very old and unfit people who ate badly and didn't exercise. But my stroke came right after a spring and early summer working my socks off in the garden, eating loads of healthy vegetables, taking the dog for lengthy walks twice a day, and only drinking relatively moderately. I had read that AF could cause a stroke but never really thought it could happen to someone like me, and annoyingly, my doctor must have taken the same view! As the one aspirin a day made me bleed relatively easily when I had a scratch or cut, I thought, 'Well this must be an effective anticoagulant!' 🦊
Time teaches us new things
This is great awareness and as someone that only got diagnosed with PAF late last year I've been stunned by the number of people I've known for years who have said a member of their family or friends of all ages had/have it...I'd never heard of it until my diagnosis.
I'd still like to see more info on AF with bradycardia though without having to dig deep for it. A lot of literature out there does read like you should be experiencing sky high heart rates with it, whereas mine could be anywhere between mid 60s and 70s when my symptoms were at their worst (ecg recorded lowest daytime hr at 33 and nightime at 28).
Any spotlight is a massively good thing though 😃
I don’t know the percentage but quite sizable number of people either don’t know(US president Biden comes to mind,on blood thinners but no other rate control meds needed,his heart rate stays in 60-80s with essentially no symptoms,might’ve not ever known short of of mandatory checks of health in senate members)
Or,they do not feel good,but blame it on overwork or overtrainig(Larry Bird comes to mind,played with a.fib at highest level NBA for probably more than year and a half before diagnosed).
And,anything in between,you get the point
I belong to second group,before diagnosis I have been taking care of Covid patients 12-14hours a day with no day off,and I mean NO day off for 3 years, thinking I was just tired and stressed,until one day while trying to beat my fatigue went to gym ,grabbed handles of elliptical machine and saw rate 175,check another one,same rate,there you go.And for god’s sake I am a doctor 👨⚕️
Jerrycheck
All in caring professions are the worst at caring for themselves. It’s not until you have the condition you start to realise the impact on well being - whether or not you are symptomatic. Hope you are receiving good care and thank you for your efforts.
🤣🤣Brilliant! I sincerely hope you are now treating yourself very well. Best wishes.
thank you
When I was diognosed in 2004 I was very aware my heart was beating irregularly
That was before smart watches and kardia .
I went to a cardiologist who soon diognosed afib I was mortified i wad only young but he reassured me that when I left his office I'd past a dozen people on the street who were totally unaware they had the same condition
A large number of undiagnosed AF folks doesn't surprise me at all. Being an "intermittent" condition, it's hard enough to pin down even when you know something's wrong! Recall the old saying-Wearing a Holter monitor is guaranteed to prevent all AF episodes for as long as the minitor is worn!
JimF
Covid Vaccine induced or Covid itself which is a man made flu (That's a fact now)? 🧐
Yep. I think Covid has a lot to do with it as well. Young people having blood clots and heart problems. Athletes who are in their prime, young and healthy- having strokes and heart attacks. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see there is a definite pattern going on. The article stated a 50% increase from 2013. It would be good to know what is the rise in afib from 2020 till now.
I am one of those with no symptoms and sometimes wonder if this is all made up to keep the docs in business😊! My Kardia is as confused as I am and most often says my heartbeat is irregular but unclassified. My cardiologist says I my rhythm is barely in spec but no need to do anything unless I have symptoms . My 2 cents is that it is not only important to observe yourself but also to get doctors who listen and don't jump to conclusions. I have changed two GP's and one cardiologist practice. I am very satisfied with my current cardiologist whereas the previous couldn't wait to get me an ablation (which procedure my current cardiologist doesn't even think worthy of discussion). I am very satisfied when assigned a physician assistant for my annual check, and see no need to go to the PA's boss unless something is amiss. My history (read only if you're having trouble sleeping): diagnosed AFIB, 2016. Diagnosed prolapsed mitral valve 2017. Open heart surgery to repair mitral valve 2017. At same time did maze procedure and left atrial appendage occlusion and double bypass. Surgeon said once he opened me up he was going to do everything I might ever need so he wouldn't have to open me up again. Meds: metoprolol 12.5 XL mg 1x, Apixiban 5 mg 2x. 25mg of metoprolol made me nauseous, so I cut it in half and my new cardiologist said that was fine. BP 112/72, HR 63 (NSR today). US, 77 yrs old. Very glad to be alive!
I wonder when Covid will be listed as a trigger given it’s already known inflammation leads to AF! With 80 out of 100 people (and rising) contracting Covid it creates its own heart pandemic!
Really 80% of the UK have had C***D?
I wonder what the stats are for those who were at least triple vaccinated against it
Sadly vaccination doesn’t protect you against contracting Covid. It just lessens severity and therefore hospitalisation and mortality. Though the number of people passing away is higher.. The new strains are why the figures are so high. Because countries have dropped monitoring and testing in 2023 it may be higher given more people have succumbed to Covid this year than in the past three. I’m in Australia and have had 5 Covid shots and as far as I know have never had Covid. My GP tells me to suspect I have contracted it and experienced no symptoms or it’s just a matter of time before I do. My brother has had it twice! For that reason I still wear a mask in overpopulated venues. Keep reading this link until you get to 70% stats . Obviously higher with the new strain and yes, not every country at 80%. cidrap.umn.edu/estimate-les...
A cardiologist told me that they had seen a dramatic rise in AF, and increased AF in those who already had very infrequent AF episodes, and that it was likely a result of Covid infection. I am one of those whose AF increased dramatically when I caught Covid.
Research using data gathered over the last 3 years has confirmed that Covid-19 infection causes arrhythmias, including AF.
Keep in mind, only the most severely ill people were hospitalized, and of those only 5.4% developed new AFib. I had Covid that was like a flu and didn't affect my heart that I could tell. I never saw a doctor for it. It would be interesting to know if the incidence of afib increased more among people who'd had Covid, but I don't think that study has been done.
Here's a follow up thread with citations that suggest this type of mass screening may turn out to be counter productive with asymptomatic fibbers being exposed to the risks of treatment, including thinners, with any benefits. This afib thing is not black and white nor easy to digest, but I think we all know that.
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