A silent, deadly heart disease suffered by Joe Biden is on the rise across the United States, according to a new study.
Researchers found that atrial fibrillation, a disorder in which the heart beats irregularly, has approximately tripled in men and women since 1990.
They estimate that one in three Americans will suffer from it at some point in their lives, which is worrying given the condition’s links to dementia, strokes and heart attacks.
It can be caused by abnormalities in the structure of the heart, sleep apnea, other heart conditions, or even thyroid diseases. Doctors recommend that people with unexplained palpitations, chest pain, and dizziness want to have their hearts checked, so doctors can start treating them before the condition worsens.
Those most at risk are people over 65, smokers, people over 5 feet 7 inches tall, obese people, people with high blood pressure, people with diabetes, and people with medical conditions. cardiac.
All of these factors can influence blood and how it moves through the body.
The academics reviewed 108 studies from 1990 to 2024 and found that the number of people with the disease appears to be increasing: a 262 percent increase in men and a 244 percent increase in women.
That means that about 10.5 million people are currently living with the disease and may not even know it, because between 10 and 40 percent of people with this condition do not experience symptoms.
Singer and actress Miley Cyrus, 32, suffers from atrial fibrillation, which is possibly a result of a condition she was born with called tachycardia. Tachycardia is a condition in which the heart beats faster than normal, even at rest.
Atrial fibrillation is a condition in which the two upper chambers of the heart begin to beat irregularly, disrupting blood flow.
If left untreated, atrial fibrillation increases the risk of stroke three-fold and is also associated with an increased risk of dementia.
Older studies have suggested that this could be because atrial fibrillation could cause a long-term interruption of blood supply to the brain, causing small but frequent damage to brain cells that could lead to the cell death seen in this disease. that steals memory.
Because it is becoming more common and can be silent, doctors should raise awareness about this disorder, said study author Dr. Emelia Benjamin, a cardiologist at Boston Medical Center.
Dr. Benjamin said, “Given the increasing incidence, prevalence, and lifetime risk of AF, it is imperative that we promote the most effective protocols to help reduce risk factors and prevent onset, recurrence, and complications.” of AF in our patients.
The Boston University researchers included clinical trials, long-term studies, reviews and scientific guidelines in their article, published in the journal Journal of the American Medical Association.
They looked at how the number of people with the disease has changed over time, what other conditions the disease can cause, and what treatments work best.
They found that from 1990 to 2024, the number of men with this condition per 1,000 people increased from 2.7 to 13.4.
In women, the number of people with this condition per 1,000 people increased from 2.5 to 8.6 during the period.
In general, the number of men with this condition was greater than the number of women.
This increase was greatest in developed Western countries such as the United States, Australia and Western Europe.
The researchers said this suggests that the number of people with the disease has been increasing, as more people live to older ages, the tools to detect the condition improve, and as people with heart disorders become more likely to live. live longer. the researchers said.
President Joe Biden, 82, reportedly suffers from this common condition.
There are four chambers of the heart that have to work in harmony in order to pump blood throughout the body.
Atrial fibrillation occurs when the two upper chambers of the heart begin to beat irregularly, disrupting regular blood flow and causing symptoms such as shortness of breath, chest pain, and fainting.
But not everyone experiences symptoms.
This can mean that common problems that accompany this condition, such as high blood pressure, heart disease and obesity, can persist indefinitely, leading to future problems such as stroke, dementia, kidney disease and death.
Atrial fibrillation increases someone’s risk of having a stroke, a serious disruption of blood flow to the brain that can lead to massive cell damage or death.
People with this heart condition are three to five times more likely to have a stroke, according to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada.
Previous studies have linked several different blood flow problems to dementia, and researchers have suggested that small, frequent interruptions in blood flow to the brain could be a key factor in the development of dementia, where cells begin to die slowly with the time.
Researchers of the University of Sydney said in 2022 that this condition could double the risk of dementia.
However, they note that there is no consensus on the extent to which this condition increases the risk of dementia, and more research is needed to definitively determine to what extent the heart problem increases the risk of brain degeneration.
About 4 percent of people with atrial fibrillation have it severe enough to undergo catheter ablation. The procedure involves damaging specific regions of the heart that are diseased so that the entire muscle pumps better.
Previous research found a less strong link. A 2011 study A study of 3,045 older people in Seattle found that those diagnosed with atrial fibrillation were 50 percent more likely to have an Alzheimer’s diagnosis than those without the heart condition.
Likewise, a big study of 2015 A study of more than 600,000 people in Taiwan showed that atrial fibrillation increased the risk of dementia by 42 percent.
Once someone is diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, doctors first recommend that they make lifestyle changes, such as increasing exercise, quitting smoking, and taking blood pressure medication.
In severe cases, doctors may also recommend surgery called catheter ablation. This involves attacking damaged areas of the heart, which may be causing irregular heartbeats, and destroying them with heat, cold, or electricity.
In about 75 percent of cases, this solves the problem, according to Harvard Health Publishing.
The researchers emphasized that the sooner someone starts treating their disease, the better their outcomes will be and the less likely they will be to develop other conditions, such as heart disease.
This includes the use of more invasive procedures, such as ablation.
Study author Dr. Robert Helm, a clinical electrophysiologist at Boston Medical Center, said, “Consensus opinion is now moving in the direction of early intervention in AF to favorably influence outcomes.” Technological advances in catheter ablation have made it an attractive option for many patients.