Atrial fibrillation. Afib. Irregular heartbeat. Palpitations. It goes by many names. Regardless of what you care to call it, this condition is becoming more common.
I have addressed Afib in the past, outlining how powerful simple lifestyle changes are to help eliminate this condition, but it seems like word is just not getting out. As a result, the rates of people with irregular heartbeat continues to climb. This particular article gives some numbers to illustrate just how bad the problem has become. Here’s what they found:
- By 2010 there were 33.5 million people worldwide with Afib.
- Lost quality of life, measured basically as years of health lost, increased by 18.8% in men and 18.9% in women from 1990 to 2010.
- From 1990 to 2010, the number of people with AF (per 100 000 population) increased in both men and women.
- Worse, death rates from AFib complication rates increased 2-fold in women and 1.9-fold in men.
The bottom line is that the number of people affected by AFib is going up, while at the same time these people are losing quality of life and dying faster.
Don’t let anyone tell you this has nothing to do with lifestyle. It has everything to do with the choices we make. From stress to lack of exercise to a diet devoid of protective nutrients. If you happen to be one of the lucky ones affected by an irregular heartbeat, AND you’re willing to make some lifestyle changes to make it better, feel free to read through my earlier blog article on this very topic by clicking here.