Lake Regional Health System | Thrive | Summer 2018

A steady heartbeat is easy to take for granted, but it’s really something incredible. With every beat, the heart generates electrical signals, which spread from the heart’s top to its bottom, causing the chambers of the heart to contract and pump blood. The most common heart rhythm prob- lem is atrial fibrillation, also called AFib. “The heart’s electrical signals should begin in the right atria,” says Lake Regional Cardiologist Muthu Krishnan, M.D., FACC. “In AFib, the signals start elsewhere in the heart and don’t travel in an organized way. Random, uncoordinated electrical activity disrupts the heart’s pumping action.” What treatments are available? Treatments include medications to control the heart’s rhythm and rate; surgery; and lifestyle changes and medica- tions aimed at managing underlying causes, such as high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes. Blood thinner medication may be used to prevent stroke. “Blood thinners reduce the risk of stroke by 50 percent to 60 percent in people with atrial fibrillation,” Dr. Krishnan says. “It’s an important treatment that saves lives.” Yet, as many as half of the people with AFib who could benefit from a blood thinner do not take one. “Most treatments improve how patients feel or function on a day-to-day basis, but that’s not the purpose of blood thinners,” Dr. Krishnan says. “Blood thinners don’t give patients with atrial fibrillation any noticeable benefit, but they protect against a devastating, perhaps even life-ending, stroke. I encourage people with atrial fibrillation to discuss this treatment option with their doctors.” CARDIOLOGY Muthu Krishnan, M.D., FACC Is your heart aflutter? What to know about AFib STEADY Keeping a BEAT PROTECT YOUR HEART To schedule an appointment with Dr. Krishnan, call 573-302-4960 . To learn more about heart care services at Lake Regional, visit lakeregional.com/heartcare . What are the signs and possible complications? Some people who have AFib have no symptoms. Others may experience heart palpitations (fluttering or pounding), light-headedness, weakness, problems exercising, extreme fatigue, shortness of breath or chest pain. Stroke is five times more common in people with AFib than in people without this condition. The risk is even higher among older people who also have other risk factors, such as diabetes, heart failure or high blood pressure. AFib also can lead to heart failure, if it prevents the heart from pumping enough blood to meet the body’s needs. 4 | Summer 2018