Replies to I'll repeat myself: AF does NOT kill you. The clot forming here and there, especially in…

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Heart Rhythm Conditions | Last Active: Apr 11 12:38pm | Replies (29)

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@gloaming

I'll repeat myself: AF does NOT kill you. The clot forming here and there, especially in the left atrial appendage, might, and that is why the prescription always includes anti-coagulants. The clot might kill us, but not AF itself. The anti-coagulant isn't prescribed to treat AF. It's prescribed to prevent clot formation. A clot, if it forms (it's only a probability deemed too high for ethical treatment) might migrate to either the brain or the heart, or both. If in the LAD, it means almost certain death, and if in the brain, a stroke.

To help to keep it separated, think of a person who has a Watchman implanted in her LAA, but who still has uncontrolled, perhaps permanent, AF. The AF won't kill her.

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Replies to "I'll repeat myself: AF does NOT kill you. The clot forming here and there, especially in..."

harveywj | @harveywj | Apr 4 12:06pm

This is not accurate medical advice. Afib kills and it can kill a number of different methods.
Without Afib you do not have a clot. A clot can begin to form in the first hour of Afib. So when clotting is a direct result of Afib and the clot(s) kill a person then Afib kills. Besides clotting Afib negatively affects perfusion and that causes problems with organ function and brain function. Inadequate perfusion results in unhealthy bodily functions. Overtime this degradation results in earlier death including dementia: so not only does Afib affect daily quality of life but it als Afib kills.
"Mortality and causes of death in patients with atrial fibrillation: A nationwide population-based" studyhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6306259/

"Patients with atrial fibrillation had a 4 times increased risk of mortality compared with the general population."

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