Physician Focus, June 2008: Cardiac Alert — Atrial Fibrillation
Cardiac Alert: Atrial Fibrillation
Once thought to be harmless, atrial fibrillation – a condition of rapid and irregular heartbeats – is now considered to be one of the nation’s most common cardiac malfunctions. It is recognized as a major source of strokes and a cause of a potentially fatal deterioration of the heart. Estimates are that it affects more than two million people, and the number of patients being treated for this is expected to soar.
What, exactly, is atrial fibrillation? What causes this condition? Is prevention possible? How dangerous is it? What are its possible consequences? Can it be cured? And what treatments are available?
Guests: Robert Hagberg, M.D., Cardiothoracic Surgeon, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston; Mark Josephson, M.D., Chief of the Cardiovascular Division, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Co-produced with Hopkinton Community Access Television, HCAM-TV, Hopkinton Mass.
Listen to the podcast (Length 14:45) (This will open your computer’s default media player in a new window)
Filed under: Physician Focus
