An active 62-year-old woman suddenly experiences slurred speech, an inability to produce new words and paralysis of her right arm. Fortunately, she gets to the emergency room immediately, where she is diagnosed with a stroke and treated with a clot-busting medication.
But why did she have a stroke?
Prior to her release from the hospital, an extensive workup was completed that didn't reveal the cause which was alarming because she could potentially suffer another stroke that could disable or even kill her.
Her care team decided to implant a heart monitor, known as a loop recorder, just beneath the skin on her upper left chest. The device allowed her cardiologist to continuously track her heart rhythm, and within three months, she was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation (Afib).
After being placed on a blood thinner, she made a complete recovery and now has the chance to avoid future strokes and remain actively engaged in her day-to-day activities.
Stroke — the silent killer
Knowing that a patient has Afib offers options to reduce stroke risk. Often called the silent killer, strokes occur when something blocks blood flow to your brain or causes bleeding in your brain. The cause is often unknown; however, one possibility is Afib, when your heart's upper and lower chambers beat out of sync, often with no symptoms.
If you or a loved one have had a stroke and Afib is the prime suspect, your doctor will want to monitor your heart to determine how often and how long Afib is occurring with an implantable device.
Because stroke is the No. 1 cause of disability and the No. 5 cause of death in the U.S., the benefits are tremendous.
How implantable devices work
Implantable heart monitors have been around since 2014 and are able to continuously transmit data about your heart’s rhythm to your physician for up to three years. They have replaced the slightly larger Holter monitors that measure and continuously track your heart's activity for shorter periods of time from the outside of your body.
The implantable device records your heartbeat and transmits it to your doctor at regular intervals, allowing your physician to pick up arrhythmias before you are aware of them.
These monitors are more than twice as likely to detect a dangerous heart rhythm that is silently planning to cause a stroke. Once discovered, treatment can be prescribed to prevent future strokes, giving you and your loved ones peace of mind and quality of life.
Treatment alternatives for Afib-related stroke
If you’ve been diagnosed with Afib, blood thinners can limit your stroke risk; however, not everyone can tolerate these medications. The good news is there are other treatment options available.
Is atrial fibrillation getting in your way?
Afib affects at least 2.7 million people in the U.S. An innovative treatment known as convergent robotic ablation procedure can help patients not responding to medications or other treatments.
Understanding irregular heart rhythms
If you notice your heart is fluttering, beating too fast or too slow or just not beating the way it usually does, you might have a heart rhythm problem known as an arrhythmia. But what does that mean?