(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- A new innovative approach to treating atrial
fibrillation (A-Fib) is showing improved results over the common drug
Over 2 million Americans suffer from A-fib, a disorder which in which the
heart beats irregularly due to quivering in the upper chambers of the heart.
Clots form when not all of the blood is able to be pumped out, which may
also lead to strokes and heart failure.
While drugs may be able to slow the heart rate or assist in maintaining the
rhythm, in the study of 167 patients, only 17 percent of those treated with
drugs ceased to experience A-fib's symptoms. Symptoms include heart
palpitations, dizziness, fatigue, and shortness of breath. Catheter
ablation, an alternative treatment, succeeded in curing 63 percent of
patients of all symptoms.
Catheter ablation destroys the small area of heart tissue which instigates
the disruption of the heart rhythm. A thin flexible tube called a catheter
contains a small tip, emitting radio frequency to burn the selected heart
tissue. A future study is planned to determine if ablation patients will
outlive those treated with medication.
SOURCE: Presented at Heart Rhythm, 2009, 30th Annual Scientific Sessions