[ad_1]

play

Dealing with both Type 2 diabetes and atrial fibrillation made living a healthy lifestyle twice as difficult for Matt Jewell.

Medications that control abnormal heart rhythms slowed his heart rate, which often made him feel tired.

“I work in construction, and the drugs have made it difficult for me to work,” said Jewell, 48, of Washington Township. “I tried to exercise to lose weight and reverse my diabetes, but it was very difficult.”

Atrial fibrillation is the most common type of cardiac arrhythmia, and cases of the potentially life-threatening condition are increasing. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, up to 6 million Americans have been diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, and it is estimated that up to 12 million people will have the disease by 2030.

Patients with untreated atrial fibrillation are more likely to have a stroke, and strokes tend to be more severe, the CDC reported.

Atrial fibrillation patients also tend to be much older than Jewell, who was 46 when she was first diagnosed.

“The median age is 71 years, so it’s usually a disease of the elderly,” said Dr. Madhurmeet Singh, a cardiologist at UPMC Hamot who is treating Jewell. “Probably five times a year, we see patients in their 20s, 30s or 40s with atrial fibrillation.”

The cause of some cases of atrial fibrillation is unknown, but high blood pressure is the main risk factor. Other factors include age, obesity, diabetes, heart failure, heart disease, hyperthyroidism, and moderate to heavy alcohol consumption.

“We call it ‘holiday heart,’ and sometimes we see young people partying all weekend and coming to the ER on Monday,” Singh said. “This is also one of the reasons why you should not binge drink or eat.”

Although Jewell has several such risk factors, she said her doctor never told her the specific cause of her atrial fibrillation.

The patient was diagnosed with an endocrinologist who detected an abnormal heart rhythm. A cardiologist then diagnosed him with atrial fibrillation (atrial fibrillation). Atrial fibrillation is a condition in which the upper part of the heart does not beat regularly and blood does not flow normally from the atria to the lower part of the heart.

“They put me on medication and I underwent cardioversion,” Jewell said, referring to a procedure commonly performed on atrial fibrillation patients that shocks the heart back into normal rhythm. Mentioned.

Jewel is feeling tired after having leftover AFib medication.

Jewell’s heart kept its rhythm, but the medication left her feeling tired. When her atrial fibrillation returned in early 2023, her fiancé, Amy Witherright, suggested she get a second opinion.

They met with Dr. Singh, who recommended that Jewell undergo cardiac ablation. Cardiac ablation is a procedure in which a cardiologist threads a catheter into a patient’s groin and uses heat or cold energy to create a small wound in the heart that blocks erroneous electrical signals.

“Matt was a good candidate for ablation because he is young. Young people have been shown to live longer with ablation,” Dr. Singh said. “Then they don’t have to take all the drugs for 40, 50 years. And some of those drugs aren’t as effective in young people.

“Matt also had heart problems,” Singh added. “His ejection fraction, which is how well his heart pumps blood around the body, was only 35%, compared to the normal 55% to 60%. Ablation could help with that.”

Jewel underwent ablation and felt better immediately.

Jewell said she agreed to the surgery at UPMC Hamot in March 2023 because she was tired of taking all her medications and went home the same day.

“I felt better right away, the dog just wasn’t as tired,” Jewell said. “I’ve only been off work for two weeks, but I feel the best I’ve felt in three or four years.”

Jewell still takes blood thinners and diabetes medication. He has lost about 20 pounds and exercises regularly.

His ejection fraction is also back to normal.

Ablation is not suitable for all patients with atrial fibrillation, Singh said. Many of them do well with medication and cardioversion.

But soon, a new type of ablation that doesn’t involve heating or freezing heart tissue will be performed on Hamot.

UPMC Hamot will soon offer a new type of ablation

Instead, pulsed-field ablation delivers high energy over short periods of time to heart cells that cause atrial fibrillation. Singh says these cells can be killed without destroying nearby heart tissue.

“This is more efficient than traditional ablation, with the procedure taking only 30 to 45 minutes instead of 90 to 120 minutes,” Singh said. “It’s also safer because there’s less risk to the esophagus and the phrenic nerve, which controls the diaphragm, which is just behind the heart muscle.”

Pulsed field ablation is expected to begin in Hamot later this spring, Singh said.

Contact David Bruce at dbruce@timenews.com. Follow him on X @ETNBruce.



[ad_2]

Source link