Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia affecting over 6 million people worldwide, mainly those ages 65 and older. As the population continues aging, that number is expected to rise. Atrial fibrillation is the irregular, chaotic beating of the upper chambers of the heart. Episodes of AF may last a few minutes or several days.
Atrial fibrillation is associated with medical conditions such as coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, or an overactive thyroid. Sometimes there is no identifiable cause.
Atrial fibrillation is not itself life threatening. Treatment depends on the symptoms patients are experiencing and the underlying medical conditions. It may include rate or rhythm controlling drugs to stabilise the heart rate, electrical cardioversion to restore the normal heart rhythm, or ablation techniques that isolate the electrical circuits that may be triggering episodes of Atrial fibrillation.
The most serious consequence of AF is ischaemic stroke. It is estimated that up to 20% of all strokes are related to AF. Most AF patients, regardless of the severity of their symptoms or frequency of episodes, require treatment to reduce the risk of stroke.
In patients with AF, blood tends to pool and form clots in an area of the heart called the left atrial appendage (LAA). The LAA is a pouch-like extension located in the upper left chamber of the heart. A blood clot that breaks loose from this area may migrate through the blood vessels and eventually plug a smaller vessel in the brain or heart resulting in a stroke or heart attack. Clinical studies show that the majority of blood clots in patients with Atrial fibrillation are found in the LAA.
Because of this growing prevalence there is an increased urgency to the search for additional ways of preventing stroke, the most devastating complication of AF. The Watchman® Left Atrial Appendage (LAA) Closure Technology device may offer a new option for stroke prevention.
