Warfarin has been the “go to” drug for afib patients for a very long time. But a new study says that half of the people taking it aren’t getting any benefit from the drug at all. This is pretty disturbing, given all the risks associated with taking the drug in the first place. Half of patients with Afib (49.4%) failed to maintain optimal blood clotting levels in the medically recommended therapeutic range to reduce the risk of stroke or potentially […]
READ MOREArchives for February 2014
Atrial Fibrillation is Widespread and So Are Magnesium Deficiencies – Is There a Correlation?
5.8 million Americans have afib. Meanwhile, magnesium deficiency affects 68% of Americans, and has been called “a silent epidemic.” Magnesium and calcium work together to help regulate electrical activity in the heart. It stands to reason that if someone has a deficiency in one mineral or the other then their heart would not function effectively and would be prone to arrhythmia. Dr. Carolyn Dean is on the Medical Advisory Board of the Nutritional Magnesium Association. She has written an article […]
READ MOREHow Much Does Blood Thinning Reduce The Risk of Stroke?
Managing the risk of stroke is the front-and-center concern for most afib patients. And, of course, most of us are taking blood thinners in the hopes of doing just that. A recent article in The Healthcare Blog points out that taking warfarin can reduce the risk of stroke by about 10%. The doctor who wrote the blog advocates the use of aspirin for patients who have a low risk of stroke. Last week, however, I directed your attention to a […]
READ MOREHowie Mandel Works to Raise Afib Awareness
Howie Mandel learned that he had afib five years ago. At first he didn’t think of it as a “big deal,” but then he learned how afib leaves patients at increased risk for stroke. Once he educated himself he decided to educate others, too. He launched a quiz called Fibs or Facts. The site offers a fun 10 question quiz which will test your knowledge of afib. Every time someone completes the quiz Mandel donates one dollar to the National […]
READ MOREThe Strong Connection Between Sleep Apnea and Atrial Fibrillation
There’s a strong link between sleep apnea and atrial fibrillation. Sleep apnea is a reasonably common sleep disorder. During sleep, your breathing pauses or stops. This happens through the night, and can result in poor sleep quality. Every time your breathing is disrupted you are jolted out of deep sleep and into either shallow sleep or wakefulness. It’s difficult to diagnose: no blood test can pick it up. Snoring is the most common symptom, so sometimes family and friends do […]
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