Atrial Fibrillation
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Atrial Fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia where the heart beats in an ‘irregularly irregular’ pattern. AF affects around 2 in every 100 Australians and is prevalent in the ageing population particularly in people over the age of 75 with approximately 10% of the community affected[1].
In AF, there is a mismatch in rhythm between the atria (upper chambers of the heart) and the ventricles (lower chambers of the heart) which may disrupt blood flow through the heart[2]. This increases the risk of clots forming in the blood, which can have serious consequences such as myocardial infarction (MI) (heart attacks) and cerebrovascular accidents (CVA) (strokes).
Risk factors of AF include cardiovascular risk factors such as:
- Hypertension
- Diabetes
- Sleep apnoea
- Physical inactivity and
- Obesity[3]
Symptoms of AF vary between individuals with some people experiencing no symptoms and others experiencing symptoms such as dizziness, weakness, heart palpitations and irregular pulse[4].
Treatment for AF varies and can include rate-controlling therapy to slow down pulse, electrical cardioversion to reset the heart’s rhythm, medications to restore normal heart rhythm or medications to prevent stroke from blood clot formation[5].
References
[1] Better Health Channel. Heart conditions – atrial fibrillation. betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/heart-conditions-atrial-fibrillation
[2] Stroke Foundation Australia. Atrial fibrillation. strokefoundation.org.au/About-Stroke/Prevent-Stroke/Atrial%20fibrillation
[3] Brieger et al (2019, November). Atrial fibrillation management – The central role of the GP. Medicine Today Vol 20 (11) 10-16
[4] Health Direct (2019, February). Atrial fibrillation. healthdirect.gov.au/atrial-fibrillation
[5] Safer Care Victoria (2019, July 19). Atrial fibrillation. bettersafercare.vic.gov.au/resources/tools/atrial-fibrillation
Hypertension
Hypertension (commonly known as 'Blood Pressure') is a significant contributing risk factor to myocardial infarction (heart attack) and cerebrovascular accidents (strokes).
A contributing factor to hypertension is obesity. Hence one's diet should be easily digestible with adequate protein and any tendency to be overweight must be checked and managed. Highly seasoned foods and large meals before bedtime should be avoided.
Avoid the following:
- Alcoholic drinks
- Strong tea and coffee
- Excess salt
- Pickles and highly spiced foods
- Strong cheese and any foods known to disagree
Salt
In our western society, we eat too much salt. You go to a restaurant and there is salt on the table. On top of that, cooks often put more salt than our dietary requirements need. Observing cooking shows, chefs are often adding extra salt into their foods.
WHY?
"Because it tastes good" is their reply. However, what are the implications of increased salt intake? It adds to hypertension and can put extra strain on kidneys. If your kidneys are not functioning optimally, then it can lead to your entire body potentially shutting down.
Sometimes we can't avoid the salt chefs add to our food when eating out, but at home we can be our own master of our health and make the choice of not adding extra salt to our food. There are so many other ways we can add taste to our food with herbs and spices.
Make the choice!
