This week, Bobbi Conner talks with Dr. Rachel Kaplan about managing atrial fibrillation. Dr. Kaplan is an Associate Professor in the College of Medicine, and a cardiac electrophysiologist, specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of heart rhythm disorders at MUSC.
TRANSCRIPT:
Conner: I'm Bobbi Conner for South Carolina Public Radio with Health Focus here at the radio studio for the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. Atrial fibrillation, or AFib, is the most common type of irregular heart rhythm, with over 5 million people in the US living with this condition. Doctor Rachel Kaplan is here to talk about managing AFib. Doctor Kaplan is an Assistant Professor in the College of Medicine, and she's a cardiac electrophysiologist specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of heart rhythm disorders at MUSC. Doctor Kaplan, tell us about atrial fibrillation.
Dr. Kaplan: Atrial fibrillation is a very common abnormal heart rhythm in adults, where the top chambers of the heart don't beat normally, they just quiver. And that can lead to fast heart rhythms, a lot of symptoms, and also put patients at a high risk of having a stroke.
Conner: Once someone is diagnosed with AFib, what is the basic or the overall plan of treatment to manage this condition well?
Dr. Kaplan: Atrial fibrillation can take different forms and affect patients differently. Some people are very symptomatic with palpitations. Others don't even notice that they're in atrial fibrillation. Treatment can focus on controlling the heart rate to a safe level, trying to keep the heart out of atrial fibrillation. And it's also important to look at reducing the risk of stroke. And so many patients with atrial fibrillation end up on blood thinners to reduce their risk of stroke related to atrial fibrillation.
Conner: And for many people, are we talking about a combination of medications? Are we talking about lifestyle changes? What might it look like day to day?
Dr. Kaplan: Lifestyle changes are an important part of management of atrial fibrillation for all patients. We know that alcohol is a major trigger for atrial fibrillation, so reducing or even cutting out alcohol use can be very helpful. We also know that obesity is a significant risk factor for atrial fibrillation. And there's studies that show that losing weight for folks who are overweight and obese can reduce the recurrences of atrial fibrillation. Beyond that, we do often talk about a variety of different types of medications, as well as procedures to treat atrial fibrillation and reduce the symptoms and the amount of time spent in the rhythm, as well as reducing the risk of stroke.
Conner: And what about the importance of managing other chronic conditions, for individuals who do have Afib?
Dr. Kaplan: It's important to try to optimize those conditions as much as possible, particularly in treating and controlling high blood pressure, or if an individual has sleep apnea. Having that diagnosed and treated can all reduce the risk of persistent and recurrent atrial fibrillation.
Conner: What's new in the way of treating and managing Afib?
Dr. Kaplan: One of the big steps forward for the management of atrial fibrillation was the development of catheter ablation, which is a procedure where we go inside the heart in a minimally invasive manner and deliver electrical energy to create scar tissue in select areas of the heart. And this has been shown for years to markedly reduce how much time someone spends in atrial fibrillation and prevent future episodes of atrial fibrillation. Over the last 20 years, the technology has gotten better and better. And, over the last couple years, there's been a whole new type of technology that we use now for these procedures. These technologies have made the procedure faster and safer for patients.
Conner: Doctor Kaplan, thanks for talking with us about managing Afib.
Dr. Kaplan: You're welcome. Thanks for having me.
Conner: From the radio studio for the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, I'm Bobbi Conner for South Carolina Public Radio.
Health Focus transcripts are intended to accurately represent the original audio version of the program; however, some discrepancies or inaccuracies may exist. The audio format serves as the official record of Health Focus programming.
