Atrial fibrillation, also called AFib or AF, is treatable. Your treatment plan will depend on your symptoms, stroke risk, heart rate, heart rhythm, overall health and personal goals.
AFib treatment may include lifestyle changes, medication, cardioversion, catheter ablation or other procedures. Your care team will work with you to manage symptoms, lower risks and protect your heart health.
AFib treatment has three main goals:
Your provider may also treat health conditions that can trigger or worsen AFib, such as high blood pressure, sleep apnea, obesity, diabetes or thyroid disease.
Healthy habits are an important part of AFib treatment. They can help reduce symptoms, improve heart health and make other treatments work better.
Your provider may recommend medication to lower stroke risk, slow your heart rate or help keep a normal rhythm.
Blood thinners, also called anticoagulants, help reduce the risk of blood clots and stroke.
Options may include:
Direct oral anticoagulants are preferred over warfarin for many people with AFib. Warfarin may still be needed for some people, such as those with mechanical heart valves or moderate to severe mitral stenosis.
Your provider will look at your stroke risk, bleeding risk, kidney function, other medications and health history before prescribing a blood thinner.
Rate control medications help slow your heart rate. They may reduce symptoms and help your heart pump better.
These may include:
Rhythm control medications help restore or keep a normal heart rhythm.
Examples may include:
These medications are not right for everyone. Your provider will consider your heart health, kidney function, other conditions and possible side effects.
Catheter ablation is a minimally invasive procedure that treats some types of AFib. During the procedure, a heart rhythm specialist guides thin tubes called catheters through blood vessels to the heart. The goal is to treat areas that send abnormal electrical signals.
Catheter ablation may help reduce AFib episodes and improve symptoms. It may be recommended when medication does not work well or causes side effects. It may also be considered earlier for some people with symptomatic AFib.
Pulsed-field ablation is a newer type of catheter ablation. It uses short electrical pulses instead of heat or freezing.
It is designed to target heart tissue involved in AFib and may lower the risk of damage to some nearby tissues. Your provider can explain whether it is an option for you.
Robotic magnetic navigation systems, such as Stereotaxis Genesis, may be used to help guide catheters during certain heart rhythm procedures.
This is a technology used during treatment. It is not a separate treatment for AFib.
Learn more about heart ablation.
Cardioversion is a treatment used to restore a normal heart rhythm. It may be done with medicine or with a controlled electrical shock.
Electrical cardioversion is done while you are sedated, so you should not feel the shock. Your provider may recommend blood thinners before and after cardioversion to lower stroke risk.
For some people with AFib, blood clots can form in a small pouch of the heart called the left atrial appendage. Blood thinners are often used to lower this risk.
If you have a higher stroke risk and cannot take long-term blood thinners, your provider may discuss left atrial appendage occlusion. Devices such as WATCHMAN can close off this pouch to help lower stroke risk in selected patients.
A pacemaker does not treat AFib itself. But it may help some people with AFib who also have a slow heart rate or pauses in the heartbeat.
A pacemaker may also be used after a procedure called AV node ablation. In that case, the pacemaker helps control the heartbeat after the electrical pathway between the upper and lower heart chambers is treated.
Surgical ablation creates scar tissue to block abnormal electrical pathways in the heart. It may be done during another heart surgery, such as valve surgery or bypass surgery.
In some cases, it may be considered when other AFib treatments have not worked or are not the best option.
AFib can raise the risk of stroke and heart failure. Treatment and regular follow-up can help lower these risks.
Your provider may use a stroke risk score to decide whether you need blood thinners or another stroke prevention option.
Stroke risk may be based on:
AFib can make the heart work harder, especially if the heart rate stays high for a long time. Controlling heart rate or rhythm can help lower the risk of heart failure.
AFib care may change over time. Your provider may adjust medications, repeat testing or talk with you about new treatment options if symptoms change.
These steps can help you manage AFib:
Call your provider if you have:
Seek emergency care for chest pain, fainting, severe shortness of breath, signs of stroke or a rapid irregular heartbeat with weakness or confusion.
Some AFib episodes stop on their own, but AFib often needs long-term monitoring or treatment.
No. Blood thinner decisions depend on your stroke risk and bleeding risk. Your provider will recommend the safest option for you.
It depends. Ablation may work well for some people, especially when symptoms continue despite medication. Medication may be the better first step for others.
Lifestyle changes may reduce AFib episodes and lower the risk of complications, but they do not replace medical care.
AFib often needs ongoing follow-up. Your treatment plan may change over time based on your symptoms, risk factors and test results.
Banner Health heart specialists provide care for atrial fibrillation, from diagnosis to long-term management. Our team can help you understand your options and choose a care plan that supports your heart health and quality of life.
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