What Is Atrial Fibrillation?

Atrial Fibrillation is the most common abnormal heart rhythm. More than 5.1 million Americans are living with Atrial Fibrillation (Afib). As the Baby Boomers age, these numbers will increase and are expected to reach nearly 16 million by 2050.  September is Afib awareness month, take a few moments to learn about the symptoms and risk…

September is Atrial Fibrillation Month

September has been declared Atrial Fibrillation Month to raise awareness of this life-threatening heart condition. Embrace Your Heart’s Medical Interpreter and founder of the patient resource StopAfib.org Mellanie True Hills, provides some great information: Commonly known as afib, atrial fibrillation is a misfiring of the electrical signals of the heart involving rapid or irregular heartbeats…

Announcing the Patient’s Perspective on Women Living With Atrial Fibrillation

Visit The Patient’s Perspective page on the Embrace Your Heart Website to download the latest Patient’s Perspective Magazine edition: Women Living With Atrial Fibrillation or listen to the recorded teleconference. The Atrial Fibrillation edition was produce in collaboration with the patient resource StopAfib.org and its founder Mellanie True Hills. Visit the Patient’s Perspective Archive to…

Do You Have Atrial Fibrillation? How Would You Know?

Mellanie True Hills felt as if her heart was jumping out of her chest.  Patty Borkowski didn’t have any symptoms at all.  How would you know if you have the most common irregular heartbeat, atrial fibrillation? Atrial Fibrillation causes the upper chambers of the heart to quiver, which can cause the heart to overwork itself…

Meet Mellanie True Hills

Embrace Your Heart™ Champions stand up to the stigma of heart disease and use their stories of survival to make a difference. Meet EYH Champion Mellanie True Hills of Texas “Heart disease is forever; once you have it, you’re at risk for more heart disease. Just prevent it.” “Surprisingly, having blood clots and a near-stroke…

What Trips Your Trigger? Managing Your Afib By Understanding Your Triggers

Understanding what triggers your atrial fibrillation episodes can help keep them under control. “We are in our infancy in learning what causes and what triggers afib,” explains Mellanie True Hills, founder of the American Foundation for Women’s Health and the atrial fibrillation patient resource StopAfib.org. But paying attention to your body can help shed light…

Answer In A Bottle? Managing Afib with Medication

The first course of treatment for most people diagnosed with atrial fibrillation is management through medication. Patients are usually prescribed a combination of three types of drugs to control the heart rate and/or rhythm and to manage the risk of blood clots and stroke. Medication cannot cure afib, and must be taken consistently over your…

Exploring Other Options: Catheter and Surgical Ablation

Medication cannot cure atrial fibrillation. For those looking for a cure, Mellanie True Hills, Founder of the American Foundation for Women’s Health and the patient’s resource StopAfib.org, suggest discussing the following options with your doctor. (Information courtesy of StopAfib.org) Catheter Ablation is done by an electrophysiologist (a cardiologist specializing in heart rhythms) in the electrophysiology…