A growing concern in the new millennium is the growing incidence of atrial fibrillation worldwide. This is a serious health threat, since it can lead to stroke and other life threatening conditions.
Atrial fibrillation interferes with the heart's normal electrical activity and causes rhythm disruptions that can lead to fainting, chest pain and other symptoms.
When blood does not flow properly in the body, and stagnates, a clot can form, whih can then lead to a stroke.
In the United States alone, atrial fibrillation causes 4.6 million hospitalization a year, at a very high cost of 6.65 billion yearly, at least according to the last tally conducted in 2005.
What is baffling, and concerning, the medical community is the steep rise in cases of atrial fibrillation, which has grown from 570 per 100,000 men in 1990 to 596 per 100,000. For women too there was a rise, although not quite as high, since women in general suffer slightly less from the condition than men do.
What has also increased, with the numbers of cases, is the rate of mortality associated with the condition.
To date, the reasons for the rise are unknown. That is, however, the focus of the research. The usual factors, such as aging and other known factors, fail to explain the trend, and therefore specific plans and studies must be undertaken to uncover the true causes of the increase in sufferers' numbers.
Source : MNT/ 12.23.13
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