Rosalie Ungar is the author of IN A HEARTBEAT: The Ups & Downs of Life with Atrial Fib. This post was first published on June 24, 2018.
The new Bob & Corrine Frick Center for Heart Failure and Arrhythmia is being created as part of The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center’s Ross Heart Hospital. Yes, I repeat, arrhythmia, which now affects millions of Americans. The Fricks are contributing 18 million dollars for this center.
Atrial fib is the most common form of arrhythmia and A-Fib affects 3 to 6 million Americans. When I was diagnosed with A-Fib over 30 years ago, very little treatment was known. Now it’s in the news almost every day. Read about my 35 year battle with A-Fib and other heart problems including 2 heart attacks, a robotic heart bypass, 3 pacemakers and an ablation. Read my story: IN A HEARTBEAT: The Ups & Downs of Life with Atrial Fib. Click here.
Besides the new Frick Heart Center, so much is going on in this field and much of it at OSU Ross Heart Hospital, as well as other major medical centers:
- Heart doctors and engineers are collaborating to save lives at OSU Medical Center where they’re working together on a 3D printed aortic valve replacement. Cardiologists and engineers make 3D printed aortas and computer models that exactly match the patient’s anatomy.
- Atrial Fib is the biggest contributor to strokes. Most A-Fib patients take a blood thinner to prevent this, but there are more factors involved. Genetics play a big part in stroke risk factors. Research groups from around the world are working together identifying new genetic risk factors.
- Breaking up the clots that cause stroke damage before it occurs is being worked on. As it stands now, if a stroke victim gets to the hospital within an hour or 2, there’s a good possibility that the stroke damage can be repaired and do very little long-term damage. Research is now addressing protocols on doing the same within 24 hours of stroke occurrence. Learn symptoms of a stroke, call 911 immediately on feeling the symptoms and get to the hospital as quickly as possible.
Last week at the Ross Healing Hearts meeting our speaker was Electrophysiologist Dr. John Hummel, head of genetic heart studies and research. He spoke to a group of 139 members, the biggest crowd our meetings have ever attracted. He spoke for an hour holding the group at full attention, then answered questions for another hour.
His question to us was why only 30 per cent of all women with atrial fib get treatment while 70 percent of men diagnosed with A-fib get treated for the same problem. Puzzling because treatment is readily availble.
IN A HEARTBEAT: The Ups & Downs of Life with Atrial Fib is now an audiobook as well as in paperback and E-book at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, iTunes, Kindle, Nook and Audio.com. Click on an icon below.
