Are you in your late thirties, feeling faint and wondering why you have an erratic heartbeat? You might want to get it checked out. For, atrial fibrillation or A-Fib disease — an irregular and often very rapid heart rhythm — which was usually found in patients who are 65 years and above is now striking younger patients. Doctors say the A-Fib cases among younger adults are because of lifestyle-related stress, hypertension and obesity.
New York Times recently reported on a study by Dr Aditya Bhonsale, a cardiac electrophysiologist at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Centre, which found that of the more than 67,000 patients treated for A-fib disease there, nearly a quarter were younger than 65. The younger ones were at an increased risk of death compared to those without the condition. And most often, they were diagnosed with other A-Fib risk factors like high blood pressure, obesity and sleep apnea, which could worsen their heart health.
