Millions At Risk Of 'Silent Killer', A Condition That Causes Sudden Death

New research from the University of California San Francisco has revealed that atrial fibrillation (A-Fib), a potentially life-threatening heart condition characterised by a rapid and irregular heartbeat, affects a staggering 10.5 million adults in the US, approximately 5% of the population. The rising prevalence of A-Fib is attributed to the ageing population and growing rates of hypertension, diabetes, and obesity. The condition can lead to stroke or sudden death, the study noted. 

"Atrial fibrillation doubles the risk of mortality, is one of the most common causes of stroke, increases risks of heart failure, myocardial infarction, chronic kidney disease and dementia, and results in lower quality of life," said first author Jean Jacques Noubiap, MD, PhD, a postdoctoral scholar at UCSF with a speciality in global cardiovascular health.

"Fortunately, atrial fibrillation is preventable, and early detection and appropriate treatment can substantially reduce its adverse outcomes," he added. 

A recent study by UCSF investigators analysed the medical records of approximately 30 million adult patients in California who received acute or procedural care between 2005 and 2019. The researchers found that:

• Around 2 million patients (6.67%) had been diagnosed with atrial fibrillation (A-Fib).
• The prevalence of A-Fib increased significantly over the study period, rising from 4.49% of patients treated between 2005-2009 to 6.82% of patients treated between 2015-2019

Atrial fibrillation (A-Fib) is a serious condition with a wide range of potentially life-threatening complications, including mild symptoms like shortness of breath, and light-headedness and severe complications like blood clots, stroke, and heart failure. Research has shown that individuals with A-Fib are up to five times more likely to experience a stroke.

The current analysis is based on medical records and diagnoses, but digital technologies such as wearable devices, mobile apps, and electronic health records may uncover even more cases of atrial fibrillation (A-Fib).

"With the growing use of consumer wearables designed to detect atrial fibrillation combined with safer and more effective means to treat it, this current prevalence of atrial fibrillation in health care settings may soon be dwarfed by future health care utilization that will occur due to the disease," Gregory M. Marcus, MD, MAS, a cardiologist and electrophysiologist at UCSF Health said.