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Medical Author:

Noel G Boyle, MB, BCh, MD, PhD

Coauthor:

Theodore A Spevack, DO

Coauthor:

Kathryn L Hale, MS, PA-C

Medical Editor:

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

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Atrial flutter may be caused by abnormalities of the heart, by diseases of the heart, or by diseases elsewhere in the body that affect the heart. Atrial flutter may also be caused by consuming substances that change the way electrical impulses are transmitted through the heart. Atrial flutter can occur after open heart surgery. In a few people, no underlying cause is ever found.

Heart diseases or abnormalities that can cause atrial flutter include the following:

• Decreased blood flow to the heart (ischemia) due to coronary heart disease, hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis), and/or a heart attack
• High blood pressure (hypertension)
• Disease of the heart muscle (cardiomyopathy), especially associated with congestive heart failure
  
• Abnormalities of the heart valves, especially the mitral valve
• An abnormally enlarged chamber of the heart (hypertrophy)

• Overactive thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism)
• A blood clot in a blood vessel in the lungs (pulmonary embolism)
• Chronic (ongoing, long-term) lung diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and emphysema, that lower the amount of oxygen in the blood

Substances that may contribute to atrial flutter include the following:

• Alcohol (wine, beer, or hard liquor)
• Stimulants such as cocaine, amphetamines, diet pills, cold medicines, and even caffeine

Atrial flutter is closely related to another arrhythmia called atrial fibrillation. Atrial flutter and atrial fibrillation sometimes occur together.

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