CARDIAC PATHOLOGIES
ATRIAL FIBRILLATION
Atrial fibrillation, also known as atrial fibrillation (AF), is a heart rhythm disorder.​
Illustration Dr TABOULET - e-cardiogram website
Atrial fibrillation, also known as atrial fibrillation (AF), is a heart rhythm disorder.
Under normal circumstances, the heart's atria and ventricles contract under the effect of an electrical impulse originating from the sinus node (a group of cells located in the upper wall of the heart's right atrium, whose depolarization controls the physiological heart rhythm) at a regular rate of 60 to 100 beats per minute (at rest).
Atrial fibrillation is defined by rapid, anarchic electrical activity of the atrial muscle, originating outside the sinus node and resulting in disordered, inefficient contraction of the atria, followed by irregular, rapid contraction of the ventricles.
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In atrial fibrillation, frequent and ineffective electrical impulses from the atria cause :
• very rapid, jerky contractions of the atria (400 to 600 per minute), to the point where this part of the heart appears immobile ;
• blood stagnation in the poorly contracting atria, particularly in the left atrium, where blood clots form. These clots or thrombi can be propelled into a cerebral artery, leading to a stroke; or into a peripheral artery, causing acute ischemia of a limb or organ.
• accelerated contraction of the ventricles, located below the atria. The ventricles also begin to beat rapidly and irregularly. They are less efficient and cardiac output drops, which can lead to heart failure.
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Atrial fibrillation can :
occur in episodes, sometimes lasting several days, between which the heartbeat is regular ;
be permanent (irregular heart contractions are constant).
Possible symptoms: People with atrial fibrillation may experience symptoms such as palpitations, fatigue, shortness of breath, dizziness or general weakness.
Atrial fibrillation can be caused or favored by a variety of conditions, including high blood pressure, hyperthyroidism, excessive alcohol consumption, hypokalemia, sleep apnea syndrome, certain underlying heart diseases or even simply aging.
Its treatment requires medical care tailored to each individual case.
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