Heart Health
Update on atrial fibrillation
New guidelines focus on lifestyle habits to prevent and control this common heart rhythm disorder.
- Reviewed by Christopher P. Cannon, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Heart Letter; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
Atrial fibrillation causes a rapid, chaotic heartbeat that usually comes and goes without warning. Commonly known as afib, it's caused by electrical misfires in the heart's upper chambers (atria). While some people don't notice any symptoms, others feel a fluttering, pounding sensation in their chest and may become lightheaded, dizzy, and breathless during a bout of afib. But the real danger is a heightened risk of serious strokes (see "Atrial fibrillation and stroke").
An estimated one in 11 people ages 65 and older have afib, which becomes more common with age. "There are many things you can do to both lower your risk and prevent the progression of afib," says Dr. Moussa Mansour, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and director of the Atrial Fibrillation Program at Massachusetts General Hospital. In fact, lifestyle modifications are now a prominent focus of the latest guidelines for managing afib, he says. Here's a summary of the updated recommendations, published Jan. 2, 2024, in the journal Circulation.
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About the Author
Julie Corliss, Executive Editor, Harvard Heart Letter
About the Reviewer
Christopher P. Cannon, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Heart Letter; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
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