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The Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing 2018Atrial fibrillation (AF) symptoms are a major component of treatment decisions for patients with AF and impact quality of life and functional ability yet are poorly... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Atrial fibrillation (AF) symptoms are a major component of treatment decisions for patients with AF and impact quality of life and functional ability yet are poorly understood.
OBJECTIVE
This review aimed to determine what is known about the prevalence of symptoms and the association of symptoms to AF characteristics, psychological distress, sex, and race.
METHODS
We performed a structured review of AF symptoms as of March 2016 using PubMed, EMBASE, and CINAHL and reference searches of retrieved articles. Full-text, published, peer-reviewed, English-language articles were examined. Articles were included if they reported original research data on symptom prevalence and type among patients with AF.
RESULTS
The 3 most common symptoms were dyspnea, palpitations, and fatigue. The results suggested that, although AF characteristics are not a significant predictor of symptoms, tachycardia, female sex, race, and psychological distress have a positive association to symptoms.
CONCLUSIONS
There is a scarcity of research examining symptoms in AF. Furthermore, the inconsistency in measurement methods and the failure to include diverse populations in AF research make it difficult to draw definitive conclusions from the current literature. Given the prevalence of AF in the United States and the impact of symptoms on quality of life and healthcare use, further research examining predictors of symptoms and interventions to alleviate symptoms is crucial.
Topics: Atrial Fibrillation; Female; Humans; Male; Racial Groups; Sex Factors; Stress, Psychological
PubMed: 28628500
DOI: 10.1097/JCN.0000000000000421 -
Toxins Oct 2019Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most prevalent arrhythmia in the general population. There is a close association between chronic kidney disease (CKD) and AF. In recent... (Review)
Review
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most prevalent arrhythmia in the general population. There is a close association between chronic kidney disease (CKD) and AF. In recent years, attention has been focused on the relationship between AF and uremic toxins, including indoxyl sulfate (IS). Several animal studies have shown that IS promotes the development and progression of AF. IS has been shown to cause fibrosis and inflammation in the myocardium and exacerbate AF by causing oxidative stress and reducing antioxidative defense. Administration of AST-120, an absorbent of uremic toxins, decreases uremic toxin-induced AF in rodents. We have recently reported that patients with a higher serum IS level exhibit a higher rate of AF recurrence after catheter ablation, with serum IS being a significant predictor of AF recurrence. In this review, we discuss the possible mechanisms behind the AF-promoting effects of uremic toxins and summarize the reported clinical studies of uremic toxin-induced AF.
Topics: Animals; Atrial Fibrillation; Carbon; Humans; Indican; Oxides; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic; Toxins, Biological; Uremia
PubMed: 31614923
DOI: 10.3390/toxins11100597 -
JACC. Heart Failure Jun 2023
Topics: Humans; Atrial Fibrillation; Heart Failure; Stroke Volume; Catheter Ablation
PubMed: 37115130
DOI: 10.1016/j.jchf.2023.02.016 -
Stroke Jun 2018
Topics: Anticoagulants; Atrial Appendage; Atrial Fibrillation; Humans; Stroke
PubMed: 29739916
DOI: 10.1161/STROKEAHA.118.021262 -
Swiss Medical Weekly 2017Atrial fibrillation may be clearly symptomatic and is easily amenable to state-of-the-art treatment, most importantly oral anticoagulation therapy for the prevention of... (Review)
Review
Atrial fibrillation may be clearly symptomatic and is easily amenable to state-of-the-art treatment, most importantly oral anticoagulation therapy for the prevention of thromboembolism. However, atrial fibrillation may also go unnoticed for long periods in many patients. This silent or subclinical atrial fibrillation is nevertheless associated with thromboembolic risk just like clinically evident atrial fibrillation. Early detection of atrial fibrillation in patients at increased thromboembolic risk and consequent oral anticoagulation therapy may have a significant impact on public health. This review focuses on screening recommendations for atrial fibrillation and on the impact of silent atrial fibrillation in various clinical scenarios.
Topics: Anticoagulants; Atrial Fibrillation; Delayed Diagnosis; Humans; Public Health; Risk Factors; Thromboembolism
PubMed: 28695554
DOI: 10.4414/smw.2017.14447 -
Circulation Journal : Official Journal... May 2020
Topics: Atrial Fibrillation; Atrial Premature Complexes; Catheter Ablation; Humans
PubMed: 32307356
DOI: 10.1253/circj.CJ-20-0255 -
European Review For Medical and... Nov 2016Heart failure (HF) and atrial fibrillation (AF) are major health issues and often co-exist. HF and AF also share common mechanisms, as well as therapies and treatment... (Review)
Review
Heart failure (HF) and atrial fibrillation (AF) are major health issues and often co-exist. HF and AF also share common mechanisms, as well as therapies and treatment strategies. The relationship between AF and HF has not been clarified and, therefore, remains an area of research interest. The choice of optimal treatment is a challenge for AF and HF. Control of rate or rhythm is the most important decision for physicians. New tactics for budgeting and centralized monitoring may have an exciting effect on stroke occurrence. Because it is predicted that AF or HF would markedly increase in the next two decades worldwide, a significant burden on the health care systems in multiple countries will occur. It remains imperative that further research about the epidemiology, mechanism, detection, and treatment of AF and HF is urgently promoted. In this paper, we review the recent progress on the relationship between HF and AF.
Topics: Atrial Fibrillation; Heart Failure; Humans; Prognosis
PubMed: 27874936
DOI: No ID Found -
Reviews in Cardiovascular Medicine Jun 2021Post-operative Atrial fibrillation (POAF) is a common complication post cardiac surgery. It can result in detrimental short- and long-term outcomes due to the increased... (Review)
Review
Post-operative Atrial fibrillation (POAF) is a common complication post cardiac surgery. It can result in detrimental short- and long-term outcomes due to the increased risk of stroke, cardiac arrest and congestive heart failure in addition to prolonged intensive care and total hospital stay raising the overall healthcare cost. Accurately identifying predictors and biomarkers for POAF ensures that patients at greatest risk can be given the appropriate prophylactic measures; resources can be distributed to the groups who are most in need and where they will gain the optimum effect. Commonly recurring predictors can be investigated further to unveil the pathophysiology behind POAF, which has yet to be fully understood. This literature review aims to examine relevant studies on the proposed predictors of POAF: increased age, gender, history of atrial fibrillation, hypertension, cardiopulmonary bypass time and the use of beta blockers amongst others. This paper will discuss the significance of both the well-known and newfound risk factors to consolidate the areas that require further exploration in order to highlight those at risk and to unravel the mechanism behind POAF.
Topics: Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; Atrial Fibrillation; Cardiac Surgical Procedures; Humans; Length of Stay; Postoperative Complications; Risk Factors
PubMed: 34258901
DOI: 10.31083/j.rcm2202040 -
BMC Cardiovascular Disorders May 2022Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac tachyarrhythmia and has a rising global prevalence. Given the increasing burden of AF-related symptoms and... (Review)
Review
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.
Topics: Anemia; Atrial Fibrillation; Heart Failure; Humans; Iron Deficiencies; Stroke
PubMed: 35508964
DOI: 10.1186/s12872-022-02633-6 -
Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) Sep 2019Subclinical atrial fibrillation (SCAF) describes asymptomatic episodes of atrial fibrillation (AF) that are detected by cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIED).... (Review)
Review
Subclinical atrial fibrillation (SCAF) describes asymptomatic episodes of atrial fibrillation (AF) that are detected by cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIED). The increased utilization of CIEDs renders our understanding of SCAF important to clinical practice. Furthermore, 20% of AF present initially as a stroke event and prolonged cardiac monitoring of stroke patients is likely to uncover a significant prevalence of SCAF. New evidence has shown that implanting cardiac monitors into patients with no history of atrial fibrillation but with risk factors for stroke will yield an incidence of SCAF approaching 30-40% at around three years. Atrial high rate episodes lasting longer than five minutes are likely to represent SCAF. SCAF has been associated with an increased risk of stroke that is particularly significant when episodes of SCAF are greater than 23 h in duration. Longer episodes of SCAF are incrementally more likely to progress to episodes of SCAF >23 h as time progresses. While only around 30-40% of SCAF events are temporally related to stroke events, the presence of SCAF likely represents an important risk marker for stroke. Ongoing trials of anticoagulation in patients with SCAF durations less than 24 h will inform clinical practice and are highly anticipated. Further studies are needed to clarify the association between SCAF and clinical outcomes as well as the factors that modify this association.
Topics: Anticoagulants; Atrial Fibrillation; Electrocardiography, Ambulatory; Electrodes, Implanted; Humans; Risk; Stroke
PubMed: 31547078
DOI: 10.3390/medicina55100611