Is Atrial Fibrillation Dangerous?
Many people live for years with atrial fibrillation without problems. However, with atrial fibrillation, the top chambers of the heart beats so rapidly — essentially quivering — that blood does not flow through them as quickly. This makes the blood more likely to clot. If the clot is pumped out of the heart, it can travel to the brain, resulting in a stroke. Atrial fibrillation can also decrease the heart’s pumping ability. For these reasons, doctors often use cardioversion to electrically shock the heart back into a normal rhythm. While not immediately life threatening, longstanding atrial fibrillation does increase the likelihood of death.
