Atrial fibrillation

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Lifestyle and home remedies

By Mayo Clinic staff

You may need to make lifestyle changes that improve the overall health of your heart, especially to prevent or treat conditions such as high blood pressure. Your doctor may suggest that you:

  • Eat heart-healthy foods
  • Reduce your salt intake, which can help lower blood pressure
  • Increase your physical activity
  • Quit smoking

Avoid drinking more than one drink of alcohol for women or more than two drinks for men a day

References
  1. Atrial fibrillation. American Heart Association. http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4451. Accessed Jan. 20, 2009.
  2. Atrial fibrillation and flutter. Heart Rhythm Society. http://www.hrspatients.org/patients/heart_disorders/atrial_fibrillation/default.asp. Accessed Jan. 20, 2009.
  3. Atrial fibrillation. National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/af/af_all.html. Accessed Jan. 20, 2009.
  4. Thomas MC, et al. Blood pressure control and the risk of incident atrial fibrillation. American Journal of Hypertension. 2008;21:1111.
  5. ACC/AHA/ESC Writing Committee members. 2006 guidelines for the management of patients with atrial fibrillation. Europace. 2006;8:651.
  6. Singer DE, et al. Antithrombotic therapy in atrial fibrillation: American College of Chest Physicians Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guidelines (8th Edition). Chest. 2008;133:546S.
  7. Podrid PJ. Patient information: Cardioversion. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed Jan. 20, 2009.
  8. Cappato R, et al. Worldwide survey on the methods, efficacy, and safety of catheter ablation for human atrial fibrillation. Circulation. 2005;111:1100.
  9. Voeller RK, et al. The effects of the Cox maze procedure on atrial function. Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery. 2008;136:1257.
  10. FDA approves first ablation catheters for the treatment of atrial fibrillation. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2009/NEW01953.html. Accessed Feb. 6, 2009.

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Feb. 14, 2009

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