If you undergo an AF catheter ablation procedure for your AF, your doctor may have mentioned the term ‘blanking period’ to you. This is the post-ablation period (usually 3-months) during which recurrences of self-terminating episodes of AF can occur but may not be a reflection of overall procedural success. In

Steady progress across all 3 trials continues. The first patients of our AFFU-AW and AFHF study enter the follow-up phases and are being contacted by the research team 3 months after their catheter ablation. This is to collect 2 pertinent pieces of data: 1. we ensure that any complication or

Two of the studies that are being undertaking at Barts Heart Centre use the Apple Watch to detect atrial fibrillation (the AFFU-AW study and the CSAF-AW study). But is the Apple Watch a reliable tool to use to diagnose AF? The Apple Watch is a wearable device that can be

Sleep apnoeas are involuntary, prolonged pauses in breathing that can occur whilst asleep. The most common cause for this is ‘obstructive’ sleep apnoea (OSA). This literally means the airway is being obstructed for more than 10 seconds causing suffocation several times each hour. The British Lung Foundation (BLF) reports that

This is a really controversial topic! The reflex opinion (especially amongst patients with AF or healthcare professionals managing AF) is often SCREEN EVERYBODY- the more AF we can find the more patients we can treat. But there are several important considerations before launching a screening programme: Should we screen everyone?

We’ve reached the 20% mark of the AFFU-AW and AFHF studies. In order to increase the rate of recruitment on the CSAF-AW study, we applied and been successful in registering it on the NIHR Associate PI scheme programme. This has allowed us to recruit site ‘champions’  Dr Christos Nikola

Caffeine is the active ingredient in coffee (and tea) that is responsible for the wakefulness effect of the drinks. Caffeine molecules block 'adenosine' receptors in your brain that activate for sleepiness and so that's why many people consume it in the morning to start their day.

The relationship between AF and obesity is undeniable. It is a risk factor for AF. It makes AF symptoms worse. It makes treatments like AF ablation more dangerous and less likely to work. The Framingham Heart Study (a long-term, multi-generational, observational study of a community) suggests that every unit increase

“I think exercise is a trigger for my AF. I used to exercise frequently but I’’m worried if I do it again, I’ll make things worse.” There are 2 things to consider here: Point 1. can exercise trigger AF? Point 2. does exercise make AF worse? Point 1

A stroke is when the blood supply to the brain is cut offA stroke occurs when the blood supply to a part of the brain. This mostly occurs because of a sudden blockage in a brain artery, which can sometimes be due to a blood clot. A blood clot can

Another month has gone by and our numbers continue to increase, especially for the AFFU-AW study. Many of these patients have also undergone their catheter ablation procedure as well and have entered the follow-up phase of this study. Remember, all patients in all 3 studies received clinical care as recommended

Good question! There isn’t a direct cause (like falls cause broken bones or bacteria cause infections) but there are risk factors- which means if you have a specific risk factor, your chances of getting AF goes up. These include * high blood pressure * other heart diseases such as heart valve

If you come into a clinic or hospital, medical teams are good at detecting whether you have AF or heart failure. AF can be picked up with an ECG. Heart failure can be picked up with a bedside echo scan. However, the challenge is being able to tell whether the

This is something we don’t have a precise answer to yet. Partly because people respond so differently to their heart going into AF so it is hard to give an overarching answer. Imagine the heart like a pair of bellows that push blood around the body. If the bellows

Atrial fibrillation is also known as AF or A Fib and is the most common heart rhythm disorder in the world. The heart beats regularly, like a clock, speeding up and slowing down based on your activity levels. Atrial fibrillation occurs when the heart beat is controlled from a different

This is research that involves human volunteers. They are set up to try and add to medical knowledge- usually by answering a question that may lead to an improvement in patient care. There are two categories of clinical studies- interventional or observational. The terms are used to describe what is

It’s been a big month! All three studies are still in the early phase i.e. recruitment of patients. You’ll notice that each study has a different ‘target recruitment number’ The target numbers that we’ve set using statistical calculations to determine the minimum number of participants required

Find Patient Information Sheets for AFHF, CSAF-AW and the AFFU-AW studies below -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- What is a Patient Information Sheet? This is a study document that has been designed by the research team for potential study participants. It outlines what a participant can expect if they choose to enroll in the

A Mechanistic Exploratory Study of AF-induced Cardiac Dysfunction and Symptoms. Hoping to better understand why some patients deteriorate significantly with AF whereas others don't- and how do we identify 'responders'.

A randomised study to determine the added value of using an Apple Watch to detect AF after an ablation treatment

A randomised study to determine if an Apple Watch can help detect AF in patients who've had a stroke