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Home > Health Conditions > Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial Fibrillation/Cardiac Arrhythmia

Alternative News:

  • Coffee Drinking Linked With Fewer Arrhythmias - Medscape, 5/8/20 - "on average each additional daily cup of coffee that people said they drank reduced the incidence of arrhythmic episodes by a statistically significant 3%, compared with those who drank fewer daily cups. The relationship held for people who reported drinking as many as five or six cups of coffee daily"
    • Coffee Drinking Linked With Fewer Arrhythmias - Medscape, 5/8/20 - "on average each additional daily cup of coffee that people said they drank reduced the incidence of arrhythmic episodes by a statistically significant 3%, compared with those who drank fewer daily cups. The relationship held for people who reported drinking as many as five or six cups of coffee daily"
  • Higher Protein Intake Linked to Lower Risk of AF - Medscape, 4/3/20 - "the average American eats an estimated 3600 calories/day — 50% from carbohydrates, 35% from fat, and only 15% from protein ... This translates to 540 calories per day from protein, which is 135 g (since 1 g of protein has 4 calories), "which is more than enough protein for the average person ... There does appear to be a 'sweet spot' with regard to protein intake, at around 58 to 74 grams per day, along with a 'ceiling effect' above 74 grams per day, where more protein intake is no longer beneficial ... most people would be far healthier and leaner by reducing their total caloric intake from carbohydrates and fats while eating a proportionally higher protein diet closer to 25% of their total calories."" - Not sure if that quote makes sense.  The average is 135 but best is 58 to 74 so we need to increase it? - See whey protein at Amazon.com.
  • Effects of Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplements on Arrhythmias - Medscape, 3/13/20 - "In conclusion, evidence from large trials now suggests that omega-3 FA supplementation may have a dose-related protective effect on coronary events. However, systematic reporting of arrhythmia outcomes in existing and future trials is required to clarify whether supplementation also has any adverse effects on nonfatal arrhythmias" - See omega-3 supplements at Amazon.com.
  • Brush your teeth to protect the heart - Science Daily, 12/2/19 - "Tooth brushing three or more times a day was associated with a 10% lower risk of atrial fibrillation and a 12% lower risk of heart failure during 10.5-year follow up ... While the study did not investigate mechanisms, one possibility is that frequent tooth brushing reduces bacteria in the subgingival biofilm (bacteria living in the pocket between the teeth and gums), thereby preventing translocation to the bloodstream"
  • Randomized study of the effects of cocoa-rich chocolate on the ventricle-arterial coupling and vascular function of young, healthy adults - Nutrition. 2019 Feb 27;63-64:175-183 - "Half of the participants ingested a 20-g dose of lower cocoa chocolate (LCC; ~55%; 12.6 +/- 1.4 mg equivalent of epicatechin/g) and the others ingested a daily dose of 20 g of higher cocoa chocolate (HCC; ~90%; 18.2 +/- 2.6 mg equivalent of epicatechin/g) ... A statistically significant improvement was depicted over the brachial and central systolic and pulse pressures in the HCC group, and a trend for improvement in the reflected waves component (Aix) and the FMS was also observed in the HCC, but not in the LCC group ... regular consumption of HCC has beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system in young, healthy adults, improving vascular function by reducing central brachial artery pressures and promoting vascular relaxation, and thus enhancing the matching of the arterial system with the left ventricle" - See Ghirardelli Chocolate Intense Dark Squares, Midnight Reverie, 4.12 oz., 86% Cacao (Pack of 4) at Amazon.com.
  • Fitness Linked to Lower Ventricular Arrhythmia Risk Later - Medscape, 4/26/19 - "That better aerobic fitness apparently protects against potentially fatal arrhythmias in the future, and that it can be easily assessed clinically during an exercise test, supports respiratory gas exchange measurement of CRF as a routine part of patient assessments"
  • Melatonin's heart protective effects not related to its antioxidant properties - Science Daily, 4/9/19  - "Antiarrhythmic agents are substances that treat irregular electrical activity in the heart. Melatonin has previously been shown to have antiarrhythmic effects, with the assumption that this was due to its known antioxidant properties ... One group of rats was given 10 mg of melatonin daily for seven days, while another received a placebo. Researchers then measured the electrical activity in the rats' hearts before, during and after a cardiac event. They later examined the hearts for measures of oxidative stress and antioxidant activity ... Ventricular tachycardia (VT) and ventricular fibrillation (VF) are two kinds of dangerous irregular electrical activity in the heart that can result from a heart attack. Incidence of both VT and VF was reduced in melatonin-treated rats. A marker of antioxidant activity was also higher in the treated rats. However, there was no association between the presence of oxidative stress and incidence of irregular electrical activity ... In previous work, the research team observed that blocking melatonin-specific receptors removed the antiarrhythmic benefit of melatonin. When taken together with this current study, these results suggest that melatonin's protective effects for the heart "are related to its antiarrhythmic action, and this effect is related not to antioxidative properties but to melatonin receptor stimulation,"" - See melatonin at Amazon.com.
  • Novel electrocardiogram uses signals from ear and hand to check heart rhythm - Science Daily, 3/17/19 - "Mobile ECG devices present a major opportunity to detect atrial fibrillation, the most common heart rhythm disorder, and thereby prevent strokes and reduce hospitalisations. All commercially available portable ECG devices require both hands, but what if symptoms happen while driving?" - See heart rate monitors at Amazon.com.
  • Low-carb diet tied to common heart rhythm disorder - Science Daily, 3/6/19 - "People getting a low proportion of their daily calories from carbohydrates such as grains, fruits and starchy vegetables are significantly more likely to develop atrial fibrillation (AFib), the most common heart rhythm disorder ... People with AFib are five times more likely to have a stroke than people without the condition. It can also lead to heart failure ... Restricting carbohydrates has become a popular weight loss strategy in recent years. While there are many different low-carbohydrate diets including the ketogenic, paleo and Atkins diets, most emphasize proteins while limiting intake of sugars, grains, legumes, fruits and starchy vegetables ... Low carbohydrate diets were associated with increased risk of incident  regardless of the type of protein or fat used to replace the carbohydrate ... Participants reporting low carbohydrate intake were the most likely to develop AFib. These participants were 18 percent more likely to develop AFib than those with moderate carbohydrate intake and 16 percent more likely to develop AFib than those with high carbohydrate intake"
  • 9 Signs of Magnesium Deficiency You Should Know - YouTube - Doctor claims that low magnesium can contribute to AFib.
  • The citrus flavanone hesperetin preferentially inhibits slow-inactivating currents of an LQT3 syndrome Na+ channel mutation - Br J Pharmacol. 2019 Jan 16 - "lethal ventricular arrhythmias in the Long QT syndrome subtype 3 (LQT3) ... HSP preferentially inhibits the slow inactivation phase of INa , more markedly in the mutant R1623Q. HSP could be used as a template to develop drugs against lethal cardiac arrhythmias in LQT3" - See hesperidin at Amazon.com.
  • Too Much Salt Might Help Spur A-Fib - WebMD, 12/7/18 - "Those with the highest levels of salt in their diet had a higher rate of atrial fibrillation than those with the lowest salt intake. After accounting for several other risk factors -- including age, body fat, blood pressure and smoking -- the researchers found that salt consumption was independently associated with the risk of atrial fibrillation"
  • Poor sleep quality linked to atrial fibrillation - Science Daily, 6/26/18 - "individuals with more frequent nighttime awakenings while trying to sleep more often carried a diagnosis of AF ... Within a subset of these individuals who had undergone formal sleep studies, they found that less REM sleep in particular predicted future AF ... These results provide more evidence that sleep quality is important to cardiovascular health and specifically to AF ... While there are several available treatments for AF, prevention of the disease would be ideal. The good news is that sleep quality can be modifiable and is something that at least to some degree is under the control of the individual. It's possible that improving sleep hygiene, such as performing regular exercise, getting to bed at a reasonable hour on a regular basis, and avoiding viewing screens before bed as well as caffeine later in the day, might help stave off AF"
  • Substance in Chinese medicine can cause cardiac arrhythmia - Science Daily, 5/2/18 - "A medicinal plant frequently used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) -- Evodia rutaecarpa -- contains substances that can cause cardiac arrhythmia ... investigated the effect of Evodia extracts in collaboration with pharmacologists and toxicologists from the University of Vienna. The natural substances dehydroevodiamine (DHE) and hortiamine isolated from the plant in Basel proved to be very potent inhibitors of potassium channels in the heart muscle. If these channels are blocked, the excitation processes in the heart muscle change, which can trigger severe heart rhythm disturbances -- so-called Torsade de pointes (TdP) -- and ventricular fibrillation and lead to sudden cardiac death" - But if you search Amazon for Evodia extracts, it doesn't look like a popular product.
  • Vitamin D Status at ICU Admission May Predict A-Fib and Bedsores - Medscape, 2/28/17 - "Patients with Vitamin D levels below 20 ng/mL were nearly four times as likely to develop new-onset atrial fibrillation, with an odds ratio of 3.59 (95% CI, 1.01–12.70). On regression analysis, the risk for the condition decreased by 15% for each unit increase in vitamin D ... A second study of 402 surgical ICU patients found that 11 percent developed hospital-acquired pressure ulcers. Patients with vitamin D levels below 20 ng/mL were more than twice as likely to develop the ulcers (OR 2.51; 95% CI, 1.06–5.97). On regression analysis, the risk of ulcers fell by 11% with each unit increase in vitamin D" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
  • Vitamin C may decrease risk of atrial fibrillation after cardiac surgery - Science Daily, 2/1/17 - "The single study on the recurrence of AF after a successful cardioversion, which was carried out in Greece, found that vitamin C decreased the risk of AF recurrence by 87% ... In the non-US cardiac surgery trials, vitamin C decreased the length of hospital stay by 12.6% and intensive care unit stay by 8.0% ... Oral administration of vitamin C decreased the occurrence of post-operative AF by 73%, whereas intravenous administration decreased it by 36%. On the other hand, oral administration shortened the length of hospital stay by only 7% (0.4 days), whereas intravenous administration decreased it by 16% (1.5 days). Thus, the effect of intravenous vitamin C administration was greater for the length of hospital stay, but less for the occurrence of post-operative AF" - See American Health Products - Ester C W/Citrus Bioflavonoids, 1000 mg, 180 veg tablets at Amazon.com.
  • Metformin and Lower AF Risk Among Patients With T2DM - Medscape, 10/13/14 - "After adjusting for co-morbidities and medications, metformin independently protected the diabetic patients from new-onset AF with a hazard ratio of .81 (95% confidence interval 0.76–0.86, p < 0.0001). Metformin significantly decreased the extent of pacing-induced myolysis and the production of reactive oxygen species" - [Abstract] - See metformin at The Antiaging Store.
  • U-shaped curve revealed for association between fish consumption and atrial fibrillation - Science Daily, 6/24/13 - "The study found a U-shaped association between consumption of marine n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) and the risk of developing AF, with people who have both low and high intakes found to suffer more from AF than those with median intakes. The lowest risk of AF was found in those who consumed around 0.63 g marine n-3 PUFA per day, which corresponds to around two servings of fatty (oily) fish per week ... Earlier studies have reported that regular consumption of fish can exert beneficial effects in preventing the development of AF. Notably, in the Cardiovascular Health study², which included 4,815 participants, a 28% lower risk of AF was observed among people who consumed fish one to four times per week compared with those who ate fish less than once per month. However, such observed associations have not been confirmed in all cohort studies"
  • CKD and Low Magnesium: Pay Attention - Medscape, 2/6/13 - "When adjusted for differences in age and sex among quartiles, the lowest magnesium group had the highest incidence of new atrial fibrillation events (9.4 episodes per 1000 person-years). The rates for the other 3 quartiles were quite similar (6.9, 7.1, and 6.3 events per 1000 person-years for the second, third, and fourth quartiles, respectively). In multivariable models controlled for the multiple potential differences including glomerular filtration rate, those with the lowest levels of magnesium continued to be at highest risk for the development of atrial fibrillation (hazard ratio, 1.48; 95% confidence interval, 1.02- 2.14; P = .04)" - See magnesium supplements at Amazon.com.
  • Low Serum Magnesium and the Development of Atrial Fibrillation in the Community: The Framingham Heart Study - Circulation. 2012 Nov 21 - "We studied 3,530 participants (mean age, 44 years; 52% women) from the Framingham Offspring Study who attended a routine examination, and were free of AF and cardiovascular disease ... 20 years of follow-up ... The age- and sex-adjusted incidence rate of AF was 9.4 per 1,000 person-years (95% confidence interval, 6.7 to 11.9) in the lowest quartile of serum magnesium (≤1.77 mg/dl), compared with 6.3 per 1,000 person-years (95% confidence interval, 4.1 to 8.4) in the highest quartile (≥1.99 mg/dl). In multivariable-adjusted models, individuals in the lowest quartile of serum magnesium were approximately 50% more likely to develop AF (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.52, 1.00 to 2.31; P=0.05), compared with those in the upper quartiles ... Because hypomagnesemia is common in the general population, a link with AF may have potential clinical implications" - See Jarrow Formulas, Magnesium Optimizer Citrate, 100 Easy-Solv Tablets at iHerb.
  • Association of Plasma Phospholipid Long-Chain Omega-3 Fatty Acids with Incident Atrial Fibrillation in Older Adults: The Cardiovascular Health Study - Circulation. 2012 Jan 26 - "In multivariable Cox models adjusted for other risk factors, the RR in the top versus lowest quartile of total n-3 PUFA (EPA+DPA+DHA) levels was 0.71 (95%CI=0.57-0.89, P-trend=0.004); and of DHA levels, 0.77 (95%CI=0.62-0.96, P-trend=0.01). EPA and DPA levels were not significantly associated with incident AF. Evaluated non-parametrically, both total n-3 PUFA and DHA showed graded and linear inverse associations with incidence of AF" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
  • Effect of Dietary Fish Oil on Atrial Fibrillation After Cardiac Surgery - Am J Cardiol. 2011 Jul 13 - "Two hundred patients were randomized to receive fish oil (providing 4.6 g/day of long-chain ω-3 fatty acids) or a control oil starting 3 weeks before surgery; 194 subjects completed the study, with 47 of 97 subjects in the control group and 36 of 97 subjects in the fish oil group developing AF (odds ratio 0.63, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.35 to 1.11). There was a nonstatistically significant delay in time to onset of AF in the fish oil group (hazard ratio 0.66, 95% CI 0.43 to 1.01). There was a significant decrease in mean length of stay in the intensive care unit in the fish oil group (ratio of means 0.71, 95% CI 0.56 to 0.90). In conclusion, in a mixed cardiac surgery population, supplementation with dietary fish oil did not result in a significant decrease in the incidence of postsurgical AF. However, there was a significant decrease in time spent in the intensive care unit" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
  • Slowing a Speedy Heart Rate? - Dr. Weil, 4/29/10
  • Influence of coffee and caffeine consumption on atrial fibrillation in hypertensive patients - Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2010 Feb 16 - "Coffee and caffeine consumption influence spontaneous conversion of atrial fibrillation. Normotensive non-habitual coffee consumers are more likely to convert arrhythmia within 48h from the onset of symptoms. Hypertensive patients showed a U-shaped relationship between coffee consumption and spontaneous conversion of AF, moderate coffee consumers were less likely to show spontaneous conversion of arrhythmia. Patients with left ventricular hypertrophy showed a reduced rate of spontaneous conversion of arrhythmia"
  • Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation reduces one-year risk of atrial fibrillation in patients hospitalized with myocardial infarction - Eur J Clin Pharmacol. 2008 Feb 29 - "N-3 PUFA reduced the relative risk of the hospitalization for AF [hazard ratio (HR) 0.19, 95% CI 0.07-0.51] and was associated with a further and complementary reduction in all-cause mortality (HR 0.15, 95% CI 0.05-0.46)" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com.
  • N-acetylcysteine for the prevention of postoperative atrial fibrillation: a prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled pilot study - Eur Heart J. 2008 Feb 8 - "The result of this study indicates that NAC treatment decreases the incidence of postoperative AF" - See n-acetyl cysteine at Amazon.com.
  • Recurrence of Atrial Fibrillation Reduced With Alpha-Linolenic Acid-Enriched Diet - Doctor's Guide, 10/17/07 - "The survival rate was 25.52% in the control group versus 63.09% in the ALA group at the end of the 12-month period" - Note:  ALA is the shorter chain omega-3 found in vegetable sources such as flaxseed.
  • Fish Intake and Risk of Incident Atrial Fibrillation - Circulation. 2004 Jul 19 - "Among elderly adults, consumption of tuna or other broiled or baked fish, but not fried fish or fish sandwiches, is associated with lower incidence of AF"
  • Fish Containing N-3 Fatty Acids Reduce Risk of AF - Medscape, 7/19/04 - "Intake of fatty fish containing N-3 fatty acids reduces the risk of atrial fibrillation (AF), but fish sandwiches or fried fish are not protective" - See Mega Twin EPA at Vitacosticon or iHerb.

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