Reaseachers Develop New Tool to Reduce Stoke Risk
Scientist in the United Kingdom (UK) have developed a new way to identify patients at risk of an irregular heartbeat known as Atrial Fibrillation (AF).
The study published in the ‘European Journal of Preventive Cardiology’ was at the same time presented at the European Society of Cardiology held in Amsterdam from August 25 to 28
AF increases people’s risk of having a Transient Ischaemic Attack (TIA) or stroke by five times though this is not life threatening.
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The AF is a type of arrhythmia – abnormal heart beat, is caused by very fast (usually more than 400 beats per minute) and irregular beats from the upper chambers of the heart.
Normally, a healthy heart beat involves a regular contraction of the heart muscle.
The study which was carried out at the University of East Anglia (UEA) showed four specific factors; older age, higher diastolic blood pressure and problems with both the coordination and function of the upper left chamber of the heart, that can predict what patient will have AF.
The reaseach test subsequently created an easy tool for doctors to use in practice for identification of these risk factors in patients.
