Atrial Fibrillation (cont.)

Atrial Fibrillation Causes

Atrial fibrillation may occur without evidence of underlying heart disease. This is more common in younger people, about half of whom have no other heart problems. This is often called lone atrial fibrillation. Some of the causes not involving the heart include the following:

• Hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid)
  
  
• Alcohol use (holiday heart)
  
  
• Pulmonary embolism (a blood clot in the lungs)
  
  
• Pneumonia

Most commonly, atrial fibrillation occurs as a result of some other cardiac condition (secondary atrial fibrillation).

• Heart valve disease: This can be something you are born with or be caused by infection or degeneration/calcification of valves with age.
  
  
• Enlargement of the left ventricle walls (left ventricular hypertrophy)
  
  
• Coronary heart disease (or coronary artery disease): This results from atherosclerosis, deposits of fatty material inside the arteries that cause blockage or narrowing of the arteries.
  
  
• High blood pressure (hypertension)
  
  
• Cardiomyopathy (disease of the heart muscle) leading to congestive heart failure
  
  
• Sick sinus syndrome (improper production of electrical impulses because of malfunction of the SA node)
  
  
• Pericarditis (inflammation of the sac surrounding the heart)

Atrial fibrillation frequently occurs after cardiothoracic (open heart) surgery, but often resolves in a few days.

For many people with infrequent and brief episodes of atrial fibrillation, the episodes are brought on by a number of triggers. Because some of these involve excessive alcohol intake, this is sometimes called holiday heart. Some of these people are able to avoid episodes or have fewer episodes by avoiding their trigger. Common triggers include alcohol and caffeine in susceptible individuals.