A simple screening can identify atrial fibrillation, such as that discovered yesterday in Vice-President Dick Cheney, and can do so even if the person is unaware of the presence of this irregular heart rhythm.
Individuals with atrial fibrillation are often unaware that they have this potentially life-threatening condition, yet it affects more than 2 million Americans.
Life Line Screening, the nation's leading provider of preventive vascular screenings, began adding atrial fibrillation screening this September and is now offering it across the nation. In atrial fibrillation, the top chambers of the heart, the atria, quiver instead of beating normally. Blood is not pumped out of the heart completely and can pool in the chambers of the heart, forming a clot. This clot can then be pumped out of the heart and travel to the brain where it can cause a stroke or travel to other parts of the body where it can block the arteries to the arms, legs, kidneys or other organs.
"As with the Vice-President's case, atrial fibrillation is often undiagnosed until a test for an unrelated condition is performed and the irregular heart rhythm is found by accident," says Andrew Manganaro, MD, FACS, FACC, Life Line Screening National Medical Director. "We want to help change this by raising awareness of the condition and offering affordable, painless, easily available screening. Identification can lead to treatment that may potentially avoid a stroke altogether."
The risk for atrial fibrillation increases with age. Life Line Screening specializes in preventive cardiovascular screening for those age 40 and over.