ATRIAL FIBRILLATION

[JMF1]

Hi All yet another query took monitor back yesterday so awaiting results. Like everyone else feel so tired and just wondering is it normal to look pale with this condition. Only asking because everyone who knows me says so. It’s just that I suffered very badly with iron deficiency resulting in blood transfusion and iron infusion, then put on iron tablets a good few years ago. However my Gp in his infinite wisdom looked at last set of bloods and said bloods ok and stopped them. It has been since then that all of this started just wondering whether there is a connection with Afib and low iron/ferritin.

[BobD Volunteer]

Excess iron (Haemachromatosis) can cause AF but not heard of low iron doing it but that will cause lack of energy etc.

[JMF1 in reply to BobD]

Thank you me thinks another blood test to check. Have a good evening

[FraserB]

Either extreme low or high iron metabolism can be involved in AF progression though it does not directly cause AF. Iron levels in the body work closely with signalling ions calcium being one of them. Unfortunately there is limited medical data, so doctors are seeing normal or even slightly low levels consider acceptable range. I've also wondered about low iron levels and AF and AFL.

[JMF1 in reply to FraserB]

Thank you will ask question when next at cardiologist. It’s getting the balance right,

[50568789]

Anaemia coupled with AF is a double whammy for fatigue. About the same time I was diagnosed with PAF, iron and ferritin levels in blood tests started to drop, eventually below reference levels, and eventually GP picked up I had anaemia, and eventually after a series of procedures to determine no internal bleeding, I was prescribed iron tablets, and iron levels are going back up. Hopefully recent ablation is sorting out the AF and fatigue will gradually go away.

Is there actually a link between low iron and AF? Interesting that on the Restless Legs forum on HU iron/ ferritin levels are considered a major player in this condition.

My wife could always tell when I was in AF by my face looking pale.

[Astridnova in reply to 50568789]

There does seem to be a risk association between low iron and AF. "Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac tachyarrhythmia and has a rising global prevalence. Given the increasing burden of AF-related symptoms and complications, new approaches to management are required. Anemia and iron deficiency are common conditions in patients with AF. Furthermore, emerging evidence suggests that the presence of anemia may be associated with worse outcome in these patients. The role of anemia and iron deficiency has been extensively explored in other cardiovascular states, such as heart failure and ischemic heart disease. In particular, the role of iron repletion amongst patients with heart failure is now an established treatment modality. However, despite the strong bidirectional inter-relationship between AF and heart failure, the implications of anemia and iron-deficiency in AF have been scarcely studied. This area is of mechanistic and clinical relevance given the potential that treatment of these conditions may improve symptoms and prognosis in the increasing number of individuals with AF. In this review, we summarise the current published literature on anemia and iron deficiency in patients with AF. We discuss AF complications such as stroke, bleeding, and heart failure, in addition to AF-related symptoms such as exercise intolerance, and the potential impact of anemia and iron deficiency on these. Finally, we summarize current research gaps on anemia, iron deficiency, and AF, and underscore potential research directions." bmccardiovascdisord.biomedc....

[50568789 in reply to Astridnova]

Very interesting article, thank you for the link. It seems the association between AF and low iron is not out there at the level it should be, even on this forum. None of the medics I have seen on my AF journey has raised it with me. Would earlier intervention / investigation of iron levels have mitigated against my AF progression?

[Astridnova in reply to 50568789]

It seems likely, doesn't it.

[CDreamer]

My husband always looks pale when in AF, he has never had a problem with iron and ferritin levels (blood tests every 6 months). Surely when in AF your heart is not pumping blood effectively and BP will be variable and affect some more than others? That would account for looking pale when in AF - if you were anaemic surely you would always be pale and always feel fatigued? Most people with PAF feel tired when in AF and if a bad episode for a day or two recovering - but not all of the time unless there is something else wrong.

If you are waiting for monitor results I am assuming you don’t know if or when you are in AF?

[Ppiman]

If your iron levels are fie, then taking extra isn;t a good thing. Iron can upset the gastric system and cause its own troubles. This might be making you look pale? But I would ask your doctor about this and arrange a further test looking at a wider range of things - inflammation, for example.

Steve

[JMF1]

Again thank you everyone I will indeed talk to cardiologist about iron and ferritin levels I am sure he will be able to see from blood tests what the levels are. Have a good day one and all.

[Drone01]

Bet you’re on a beta blocker slowing your heart rate down!

[Astridnova]

Low iron is high risk for cardiac problems. Your doctor needs to get up to date. "Iron deficiency is present in approximately 50% of patients with symptomatic heart failure and is independently associated with worse functional capacity, lower quality of, life and increased mortality." pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/371...