Dr. Howard Smith Oncall

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/C6WstnzLzVT/ Atrial fibrillation is the nearly functionless wiggling of the heart’s upper chambers rather than purposeful pumping.  One in every four persons with atrial fibrillation, AF for short, is under the age of 65.  That’s surprising, since common wisdom considers AF to be a disease of the elderly.   This from cardiologists at the University of Pittsburgh following their review of 67,221 patients of all ages with AF.  What’s more, younger persons with AF are more likely to die prematurely than those of similar ages without it.  Mortality rates for men with AF are 1.3 to 1.5 times higher, but it’s even worse for younger women.  They are 1.8 to over 3 times more likely to die.  AF triggers not only strokes but also heart attacks and heart failure. If you’re an adult of any age and feel your heart racing, skipping, fluttering, you might have AF.  The same is true if you notice chest pains, shortness of breath, or dizziness.  If you notice any of these symptoms, ta