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When the heart does not contract properly and vibrates irregularly, it is called atrial fibrillation, and the number of such patients is increasing.

Early diagnosis is important because cerebral infarction can occur as a complication even though there are usually no symptoms.



Medical reporter Yoo Seung-hyun reports.



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Choi Myung-sun, 71 years old, has been drinking frequently.



[Choi Myung-sun (71)/Atrial fibrillation patient: Because I liked alcohol.

Two bottles of soju, three bottles.

I may have been able to get rid of my unsettled thoughts, and I drank some alcohol because of that taste.]



More than 7 years ago, I felt symptoms.

[Choi Myung-sun (71)/Atrial Fibrillation



Patient: My heart flutters and the rhythm goes like this, goes up and then goes up and then suddenly goes down.



He ate and his pulse recovered, but it relapsed recently and he underwent surgery.



Normal electrocardiogram and electrocardiogram of atrial fibrillation patients.



The heart that should be beating regularly is beating irregularly.



Atrial fibrillation is more dangerous with age, with eight out of ten patients over the age of 60.



Hypertension increases the risk 1.3 times, obesity 1.4 times, and sleep apnea 2.2 times.



Smoking and drinking also increase the risk by two and 1.4 times, respectively.



As the aging population progresses, the number of patients treated for atrial fibrillation in Korea increased by 35% from 180,000 in 2016 to 240,000 in 4 years.



Symptoms can range from fatigue, palpitations, and trouble sleeping to difficulty breathing.



[Park Ye-min/Professor of Cardiology, Gachon University Gil Hospital: In the case of persistent atrial fibrillation, about two-thirds of cases are asymptomatic, and in some cases, they are discovered first as a cerebral infarction (sometimes).

Loss of consciousness and collapse may also occur.

It is also related to cognitive decline and dementia.]



If you are older and have risk factors such as high blood pressure and obesity, it is recommended to adjust your lifestyle, such as drinking, and to receive regular ECG tests.



(Video coverage: Hwang In-seok, video editing: Yoon Tae-ho, CG: Kim Hong-sik)