Background: Many patients with atrial fibrillation experience uncertainty and psychological distress. Internet support groups for atrial fibrillation have yet to be studied.
Aim: To determine the content and dialogue on an online message board for atrial fibrillation with the purpose of elucidating information and support needs from patient perspectives.
Methods: Interpretative description methodology was undertaken to explore conversation from a publicly available website for atrial fibrillation over a 3-month period.
Results: Individuals interacted with the message board to make sense of their atrial fibrillation events by sharing experiences with medications, complementary and alternative medicine, trigger avoidance and ablation. The opinions of lay experts on the message board, anecdotal stories and hyperlinked Internet data were all highly valued sources of information in the messages. Using the learning gained from the board, individuals proceeded with strategies to treat their atrial fibrillation, often in a trial and error fashion. Throughout the process, individuals came back to the board, to update on their progress and gain assistance from others.
Conclusion: The studied atrial fibrillation population had unmet needs for education regarding non-pharmacological approaches to treat atrial fibrillation. In the absence of opportunity to discuss these needs with healthcare professionals, patients may be vulnerable to unproved approaches advocated by Internet peers. Further research is suggested to examine the prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine use in the atrial fibrillation population and to understand better how social media can be utilised to support atrial fibrillation patients.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1474515116678103 | DOI Listing |
Sci Rep
January 2025
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China.
Previous observational studies have reported inconsistent associations between nut consumption and cardiovascular diseases (CVD). This study aims to identify the causal relationship between different types of nuts consumption and CVD, and to quantify the potential mediating effects of cardiometabolic factors. We utilized Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS) data to assess the causal effects of nut consumption on CVD using two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) and a two-step MR analysis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTransl Psychiatry
January 2025
Genetic Epidemiology Group, Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Experiencing a traumatic event may lead to Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), including symptoms such as flashbacks and hyperarousal. Individuals suffering from PTSD are at increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), but it is unclear why. This study assesses shared genetic liability and potential causal pathways between PTSD and CVD.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Cardiol
January 2025
Department of Cardiology, Fujita Health University 1-98 Dengakugakubo, Kutsukake-cho, Toyoake, Aichi 4701192, Japan.
Background: Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2is) reportedly decreased the new-onset atrial arrhythmias in patients with type-2 diabetes (T2DM) or heart failure (HF). This study examined the impact of SGLT2is on catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF) in HF patients without T2DM.
Methods: Persistent AF (PeAF) and HF (N-terminal prohormone of brain natriuretic peptide, NT-proBNP ≥400 pg/ml) patients without T2DM undergoing catheter ablation were prospectively enrolled (n = 102).
Can J Cardiol
January 2025
Brigham and Women's Hospital Amyloidosis Program and Section of Cardiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston MA 02115 USA; Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
AF is a common arrhythmia in cardiomyopathy, particularly when congestive heart failure is present. The neurohormonal activation in congestive heart failure may trigger fibrotic and other changes in the left atrium and the atrial stretch associated with heart failure may induce further atrial pathology and/ or directly trigger AF (8). By the time that patients with AF develop extensive fibrosis, the arrhythmia has been shown to be associated with a greater difficulty in maintaining sinus rhythm despite attempted ablation procedures.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Electrocardiol
December 2024
VPG Medical, Inc., Rochester, NY, USA.
Passive cardiac monitoring has become synonymous with wearable technologies, necessitating patients to incorporate new devices into their daily routines. While this requirement may not be a burden for many, it is a constraint for individuals with chronic diseases who already have their daily routine. In this study, we introduce an innovative technology that harnesses the front-facing camera of smartphones to capture pulsatile signals discreetly when users engage in other activities on their device.
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