Atrial Fibrillation (AF)

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Atrial fibrillation or AF, is the most common arrhythmia. An arrhythmia is a problem with
the speed or rhythm of the heartbeat. A disorder in the heart's electrical system causes AF and
other types of arrhythmia.

AF occurs when rapid, disorganized electrical signals in the heart's two upper chambers,
called the atria, cause them to contract very fast and irregularly (this is called fibrillation). As
a result, blood pools in the atria and isn't pumped completely into the heart's two lower
chambers, called the ventricles. When this happens, the heart's upper and lower chambers
don't work together as they should.

Often, people who have AF may not even feel symptoms. However, even when not noticed,
AF can lead to an increased risk of stroke. In many patients, particularly when the rhythm is
extremely rapid, AF can cause chest pain, heart attack, or heart failure. AF may occur rarely
or every now and then, or it may become a persistent or permanent heart rhythm lasting for
years.

Understanding the Heart's Electrical System

The heart has an internal electrical system that controls the speed and rhythm of the heartbeat.
With each heartbeat, an electrical signal spreads from the top of the heart to the bottom. As it
travels, the signal causes the heart to contract and pump blood. The process repeats with each
new heartbeat.

Each electrical signal begins in a group of cells called the sinus node, or sinoatrial (SA) node.
The SA node is located in the right atrium, which is the upper right chamber of the heart. In a
healthy adult heart at rest, the SA node fires off an electrical signal to begin a new heartbeat
60 to 100 times a minute. (This rate may be slower in very fit athletes.)

From the SA node, the electrical signal travels through special pathways to the right and left
atria. This causes the atria to contract and pump blood into the heart's two lower chambers,
the ventricles. The electrical signal then moves down to a group of cells called the
atrioventricular (AV) node, located between the atria and the ventricles. Here, the signal
slows down just a little, allowing the ventricles time to finish filling with blood.

The electrical signal then leaves the AV node and travels along a pathway called the bundle
of His. This pathway divides into a right bundle branch and a left bundle branch. The signal
goes down these branches to the ventricles, causing them to contract and pump blood out to
the lungs and the rest of the body. The ventricles then relax, and the heartbeat process starts
all over again in the SA node.
Understanding the Electrical Problem in Atrial
Fibrillation
In AF, the heart's electrical signal begins in a different part of the atria or the nearby
pulmonary veins and is conducted abnormally. The signal doesn't travel through normal
pathways, but may spread throughout the atria in a rapid, disorganized way. This can cause
the atria to beat more than 300 times a minute in a chaotic fashion. The atria's rapid, irregular,
and uncoordinated beating is called fibrillation.

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The abnormal signal from the SA node floods the AV node with electrical impulses. As a
result, the ventricles also begin to beat very fast. However, the AV node can't conduct the
signals to the ventricles as fast as they arrive, so even though the ventricles may be beating
faster than normal, they aren't beating as fast as the atria. The atria and ventricles no longer
beat in a coordinated fashion, creating a fast and irregular heart rhythm. In AF, the ventricles
may beat up to 100-175 times a minute, in contrast to the normal rate of 60-100 beats a
minute.

When this happens, blood isn't pumped into the ventricles as well as it should be, and the
amount of blood pumped out of the ventricles is based on the randomness of the atrial beats.
In AF, instead of the body receiving a constant, regular amount of blood from the ventricles,
it receives rapid, small amounts and occasional random, larger amounts, depending on how
much blood has flowed from the atria to the ventricles with each beat.

Most of the symptoms of AF are related to how fast the heart is beating. If medicines or age
slow the heart rate, the effect of the irregular beats is minimized.

AF may be brief, with symptoms that come and go and end on their own, or it may be
persistent and require treatment. Or, AF can be permanent, in which case medicines or other
interventions can't restore a normal rhythm.

Outlook
People who have AF can live normal, active lives. For some people, treatment can cure AF
and return their heartbeat to a normal rhythm. For people who have permanent AF, treatment
can successfully control symptoms and prevent complications. Treatment consists primarily
of different kinds of medicines or nonsurgical procedures.

Types of Atrial Fibrillation

Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation
In paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF), the abnormal electrical signals and rapid heart rate
begin suddenly and then stop on their own. Symptoms can be mild or severe and last for
seconds, minutes, hours, or days.

Persistent Atrial Fibrillation

Persistent AF is a condition in which the abnormal heart rhythm continues until its stopped
with treatment.

Permanent Atrial Fibrillation

Permanent AF is a condition in which the normal heart rhythm cant be restored with the
usual treatments. Both paroxysmal and persistent atrial fibrillation may become more
frequent and eventually result in permanent AF.

What Causes Atrial Fibrillation?

Atrial fibrillation (AF) occurs when the electrical signals traveling through the heart are
conducted abnormally and become disorganized and very rapid.

This is the result of damage to the hearts electrical system. This damage is most often the
result of other conditions, such as coronary artery disease or high blood pressure, that affect
the health of the heart. Sometimes, the cause of AF is unknown.

Further Reading
Atrial Fibrillation Signs and Symptoms
Atrial Fibrillation Diagnosis
Atrial Fibrillation Treatment
Atrial Fibrillation Prevention
Atrial Fibrillation Facts

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute