Ask the Doctor: ‘My husband has a family history of atrial fibrillation — how does he get thoroughly checked?’

“My husband has a family history of atrial fibrillation. His grandad passed away young from complications due to this and his father had interventions carried out after ending up in hospital in a bad way in his early 50s. We are in our mid-forties now and my husband has a rather stressful career running his own business. My question is, should he get checked now for heart rhythm disorders? Is he more likely to suffer from these if there is a family history? Lastly, how can we go about getting this thoroughly checked?”

Answer from Prof Jonathan Lyne, Director of Cardiac Electrophysiology and Consultant Cardiologist & Electrophysiologist, Beacon Hospital

Atrial Fibrillation is the most common cardiac arrhythmia diagnosed from an ECG tracing of the electrical activity of the heart. For a patient, it can be associated with no symptoms at all, or with symptoms of palpitation, extra or skipped beats, a fast irregular heart rate, and/or breathlessness. It can last for any duration, from seconds to hours, to a state of permanence.

New guidelines published just this year have identified that early intervention to treat atrial fibrillation is key to preventing changes in the heart that can affect the size of the heart, the pumping efficiency, and reduce the risk of other serious conditions and risk of mortality. Options can include medications or a procedure known as an ablation.

Predictors of atrial fibrillation include increasing age and the burden of modifiable risk factors such as high blood pressure, being overweight, having diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, lung disease, or prior strokes. The risk of inheriting it from a first-degree relative (mother or father) increases your chance of developing atrial fibrillation by 40%. However, it is important to note that modifying the risk factors above would be the most important preventable action that your husband can take to minimise his risks.

In terms of getting checked, anybody can perform a basic pulse check to identify whether the rhythm appears to be regular. This will help increase your awareness of your pulse so that should any change be noted, you can seek help from a Heart Rhythm Cardiologist earlier thus hopefully preventing complications in years to come.

Many smartwatches now come with the ability to perform a basic ECG which can be saved and used as evidence in a clinic appointment. There are a multitude of quick outpatient cardiac tests that can be used to reassure or diagnose any issues with the electrics and structure of the heart. Each can be individualised according to family history, symptoms, and prior medical history.

If you have any concerns and would like to get checked, you can book in to discuss this with your GP who will be able to provide some preliminary checks. Following this if clinically indicated, your GP can refer you to a specialised centre such as Beacon Hospital’s Arrhythmia Clinic or Rapid Access Cardiology Clinic for more thorough testing and examination by a consultant specialising in heart rhythm.

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