National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH) has estimated that about 600,000 people in Taiwan suffer from atrial fibrillation — an irregular and often rapid heart rate — and that elderly people who have the condition are five times more likely to suffer a stroke than someone with a regular heartbeat, an NTUH physician said.
A 62-year-old woman surnamed Huang (黃) has chronic hypertension and diabetes. She suffered three strokes in 13 years, was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation after the second stroke, and had to undergo a cardiac catheter ablation and begin taking an anticoagulant.
Huang suffered side effects from taking the anticoagulant medication and had a third stroke about two years ago. Doctors suggested that she undergo a left atrial catheterization last year.
The surgery went smoothly and she has not suffered symptoms since, NTUH said.
Irregular heart beat from atrial fibrillation can cause blood clots to form in the left atrium of the heart, NTUH cardiologist Tsai Chia-ti (蔡佳醍) said, adding that when they are pumped out of the heart and travel to the brain, they can sometimes block the blood supply to an artery in the brain, causing a stroke.
Elderly people are at an increased risk of developing atrial fibrillation, with an estimated prevalence of about one in every 10 people aged 75 or older, he said.
The estimated prevalence of the condition among Taiwan’s population is about 2.5 percent, amounting to about 600,000 people, he added.
While one out of every six people who have suffered a stroke has atrial fibrillation, many of them are not aware of it until after their first stroke occurs, Tsai said.
An anticoagulant is generally used to treat atrial fibrillation, but it can cause adverse side effects, such as gastrointestinal hemorrhaging or even cerebral hemorrhaging, which has a high mortality rate, Tsai said, adding that people with chronic liver disease should not take anticoagulants regularly.
A left atrial catheterization can reduce the risk of suffering a stroke by 70 percent, Tsai said.
However, patients with atrial fibrillation are advised to first discuss their health condition with a doctor to find the most suitable treatment, Tsai said.
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