Atrial Fibrillation

Relatively Common Arrhythmia

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common serious cardiac arrhythmia, affecting approximately 2.2 million Americans.² The prevalence of AF doubles with each decade of age after the 5th decade, and AF occurs in almost 10% of Americans older than 80 years.⁷⁶ Common symptoms of AF include⁷⁷:

• Palpitations
• Angina
• Dyspnea
• Fatigue
• Lightheadedness

Cardiovascular Risk

AF is associated with a number of cardiovascular conditions, including⁷⁷:

• Valvular heart disease
• CAD
• Hypertension

Additionally, AF sufferers are approximately 5 times more likely to have a stroke than individuals without AF.⁷⁸ In fact, AF accounts for 15% to 20% of all strokes.⁷⁹

Women and AF

• The absolute number of men and women with AF is about equal. However, as age increases, women tend to account for an increasingly larger portion of the AF population in the US.⁸⁰
• After adjusting for various factors, the risk of death for women with AF is almost twice that of those without AF.⁸¹
• Women with AF are at increased risk of ischemic stroke compared with men.⁸²
• Women with hypertension are 40% more likely to develop AF.⁸³
• Women with diabetes are at 60% greater risk of developing AF.⁸³