Nikhil Ahluwalia

Yoga and atrial fibrillation: benefits beyond the mat

Yoga is an ancient practice that combines physical postures, breath control, meditation, and spiritual wellness. Originating from India, yoga has now transcended borders and is offered in gyms, online classes and retreats all round the World. There are a reported 300 million yoga practitioners worldwide, with 10% of the U.

For Patients

The relationship between blood pressure and AF

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a significant risk factor for atrial fibrillation, with studies showing that it is present in about 70% AF patients. While the relationship between AF and hypertension is complex, it may alter the structure of the heart, leading to the development of AF.

Innovation and Evolution: The Genesis of Atrial Fibrillation Management

"Explore the journey of AF management's evolution with Dr. Rowland, one of the first Cardiac Electrophysiologists in the UK. Witness his fascinating stories of crafting catheters, observing the first pacemaker implantation, and shaping the field of Cardiac Electrophysiology."

Atrial fibrillation on holiday: Tips for Travel and Prevention

The Summer holidays can be a time for vacation and relaxation. However, patients living with a medical condition like Atrial Fibrillation may experience anxiety traveling abroad and away from the safety net of their healthcare team. However, a good understanding of the condition coupled with preparation can mitigate a lot

Using Apple Watch ECGs for AF care: the real-world experience

As promised last week, we are able to share more early findings- this time from the AFFU-Apple Watch trial- evaluating the use of these wearables as medical tools to monitor AF patients We’re enrolling 172 patients and asking those in the Watch group to take daily ECGs for a

What do AF maps mean? 🤯

We've been quiet for the last few weeks as we have been crunching the numbers and presenting the initial findings of our AF research projects at the big Cardiology conferences. As they are now public, we will share our findings on BartsAF over the next few weeks! Thank

Having a second AF ablation? Here's what you need to know

"Am I having a repeat AF ablation because it wasn’t done properly the first time?" This is highly unlikely to be the reason. Complete AF ablation treatment can require more than one procedure because there are things that cannot and should not be tackled on the first

Atrioesophageal Fistula after AF Ablation

An In-depth Look at an Extremely Rare Complication Introduction: Risk and the POTTER-AF study Healthcare involves navigating risk: benefit decisions to deliver the outcome the patient wants. This occurs from the start- deciding to go to the hospital (the risks of waiting to be seen, the discomfort of blood tests

AF ablation in special populations

How do we measure success? Understanding the Variability in AF Ablation Outcomes Atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation has been transformative in managing symptomatic AF- proving to be the most effective way to restore normal rhythm in this context. However, success rates vary significantly in selected patient populations, where factors such as

Disrupting AF detection after stroke

It is important to remind ourselves why AF treatment is so important. Without taking away from the severity of AF symptoms, stroke is the most feared complication- 5-6 fold more likely in patients with AF. Yesterday I had the opportunity to speak on innovative ways to catch AF in stroke

Obesity and AF: mechanisms and treatment options

What is the link? Even though we've spoken about the cardioprotective effects of exercise, does obesity have a pro-arrhythmic effect? The answer simply is yes. Obesity is an independent risk factor for AF. Being overweight/obese counted for 17.9% of all AF cases in the analysis of

Surgical AF ablation

Atrial fibrillation can be treated by targeting the area it originates from- the top left chamber of the heart and the pulmonary veins. The most direct way of treating this region is through cardiac surgery. And that's how AF used to be managed before the advent of catheter

Athletes and AF risk

Exercise and physical activity are well-known for their benefits in reducing metabolic disease risk and improving cardiovascular health. This is also the case when it comes to atrial fibrillation- exercise and it's consequences (lower BMI, better BP control) are associated with lower incidence of AF and as we

Left atrial fibrosis and AF

I've referred to left atrial fibrosis in a couple of previous posts and today, I want to take a deep dive into what that actually means. Understanding Left Atrial Fibrosis in Atrial Fibrillation Patients Fibrosis of the heart describes the formation of excess fibrous connective tissue in the

AF in ethnic/racial minorities

Hypertension, diabetes, and heart failure - all have a higher prevalence in the black and Asian minority ethnic (BAME) communities in the West and all three are strong risk factors for atrial fibrillation. However, it is a paradox that BAME communities have this higher risk profile for atrial fibrillation but

More evidence for exercise!

In 2021, a team of Australian researchers teased us with initial results of ACTIVE-AF. Their findings suggested their treatment doubles the number of AF patients who were free from it after 1 year. For those of you who read the title you may have guessed that that treatment was exercise

For Patients

The genetics of AF

Learn about the role of genetics in atrial fibrillation (AF) and how identifying AF-associated genes can help us understand why AF happens and potentially lead to genetic therapies for AF.

Presenting AF and Heart Failure

You can put your reading glasses away this week. It's like that class in school where the teacher wheels out the TV and you learn by watching. Last week, I was fortunate enough to have been asked to speak at the pan-London Heart Failure training day. So rather

January Trials update: AFFU-AW, AFHF, CSAF-AW

January Trials update: AFFU-AW, AFHF, CSAF-AW We had the first 12-month follow-ups for our AFFU-AW and AFHF studies (how time flies!) this month. There are so many data points collected by the Apple Watch and it’s going to be really interesting to analyse what is truly ‘big data’! AFFU-AW

For Patients

AF-bot: "How can I assist you?"

Learn about the potential use of artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots in supporting patients before and after their ablation procedures. Check out our test 'chatbot' at www.barts.ai and share your feedback!

For Patients

Young AF

Learn about the risks of atrial fibrillation (AF) in young adults, the most significant risk factors, and how to address and manage them for a healthier life.

For Patients

The CAST trial

The CAST trial was designed to test whether anti-arrhythmic drugs could reduce the risk of death by suppressing ventricular ectopics in patients after a heart attack.

For Patients

What can an echo add in Atrial fibrillation?

Learn how an echo, an ultrasound-based imaging assessment of the heart, can provide valuable information for the management of atrial fibrillation. Find out what your doctor is looking for in your echo results and how they can influence your treatment plan.

December Trials update: AFFU-AW, AFHF, CSAF-AW

December Trials update: AFFU-AW, AFHF, CSAF-AW The Season is upon us! We’ve done quite well despite elective services winding down over the Christmas period having a knock on effect. We’re still trying hard to think about how we can increase our recruitment rates in the CSAF-AW study. Are

For Patients

To cardiovert or not cardiovert?

Discover the best way to manage new-onset AF in the A&E. Is cardioversion necessary, or is a 'wait and see' approach just as effective? Read on to learn more.