How to prevent atrial fibrillation arrhythmia? Symptoms and causes of atrial fibrillation. Therapy options for Atrial fibrillation in elderly patients. Pulmonary vein isolation to treat atrial fibrillation.

Atrial fibrillation prevention and treatment is linked to heart geometry and function changes. Dr. Anton Titov, MD. How to prevent atrial fibrillation? Treatment of atrial fibrillation by pulmonary vein isolation. Video interview with top expert in cardiology. Second opinion ensures that atrial fibrillation diagnosis is correct and complete. Second opinion also helps to choose the best treatment strategy for atrial fibrillation. Seek second opinion on paroxysmal atrial fibrillation and be confident that your treatment is the best. New oral anticoagulants in AFib treatment. Dr. Anton Titov, MD. Prevention of atrial fibrillation is based on trigger and substrate reduction. Mechanical stretching of heart chambers predisposes to AFib. Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation can signify transition to permanent cardiac arrhythmia. Prevent atrial fibrillation treatment. Second Opinion (Cardiologist, Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School). Dr. Anton Titov, MD. What can you do to prevent atrial fibrillation? What can you do to treat atrial fibrillation? Dr. Dale Adler, MD. The prevention of atrial fibrillation is really in having a healthy heart. To prevent atrial fibrillation patients need to control blood pressure very well. Patients need to control diabetes very well. Patients need to control weight very well. This should reduce the amount of stretch in the top chamber the heart. This will reduce the risk of anatomical change that leads to atrial fibrillation. What else you can do to treat atrial fibrillation? As we discussed, we put patients on oral anticoagulant medications. We also use medications to slow down their heart rate. But in those patients who still have atrial fibrillation. We favor the use of antiarrhythmic medications. Dr. Dale Adler, MD. We do not really like to use antiarrhythmic medications in the long term. Sometimes you are trying to alter the heart's rhythm. Then you usually can make the rhythm worse potentially instead of better. But antiarrhythmic medications are worth a try. Antiarrhythmic medications in patients with atrial fibrillation have to be used cautiously. There are patients who have structural heart disease. There are also patients who have problems with coronary arteries that supply blood to the heart. Antiarrhythmic medications may be okay in such patients. The heart is getting plenty of blood flow. But using antiarrhythmic medications may not be okay when a patient is not getting enough blood flow to the heart. But after taking all precautions we usually feel that antiarrhythmic medicine in a patient with atrial fibrillation may be used. It is useful to try for a period of time. Sometimes antiarrhythmic medicines do not work well in a patient with atrial fibrillation. Then we can do a treatment procedure called "pulmonary vein isolation". This treatment method can be very effective. "Pulmonary vein isolation" for atrial fibrillation works like this. Catheters are inserted into pulmonary vein. Dr. Dale Adler, MD. There is an attempt to disconnect from the rest of the heart those electric triggers that come from the pulmonary vein. Patients who consider pulmonary vein isolation for atrial fibrillation might need to repeat this procedure a second time. It is repeated within the first several months of the first pulmonary vein isolation for atrial fibrillation. But there is an 80% to 90% probability that pulmonary vein isolation will permanently cure atrial fibrillation. Dr. Anton Titov, MD. Cure can happen in those who agree to do pulmonary vein isolation. Atrial fibrillation prevention and treatment. How to reduce changes in heart that cause AFib. Antiarrhythmic drug therapy and pulmonary vein isolation.