Silent but serious: Why AFib deserves your attention

Atrial fibrillation, or AFib/AF for short, is the most common heart rhythm disorder. It raises the risk of stroke and heart failure, and it affects far more people than experts once realized.

A 2024 University of California San Francisco study found that AFib is about three times more common than previously believed, affecting nearly 5% of the population, or 10.5 million U.S. adults. Researchers say the increase is largely due to an aging population and growing rates of conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity.

But there is good news. Lifestyle changes can lower your risk of developing AFib and help prevent its complications. Here’s what you should know about AFib, from diagnosis to day-to-day management.

What is AFib?

AFib is an arrhythmia, or heart rhythm disorder, that causes the heart to beat in an abnormal, irregular pattern.

In a healthy heart, the upper chambers, called the atria, contract in a steady rhythm. In someone with AFib, chaotic electrical signals make the atria quiver instead of contracting effectively. This disrupts blood flow from the heart’s upper chambers to the lower ones, known as the ventricles, as CDC experts describe.

That disrupted blood flow can lead to serious complications. In fact, people with AFib are five times more likely to have a stroke, according to experts the University of Chicago Medicine.

AFib can lead to a stroke because when blood pools in the heart’s upper chambers, a clot can form. If that clot breaks free and travels to the brain, it can block an artery and cut off the brain’s oxygen supply. People with AFib also face a higher risk for blood clots, heart attack and heart failure.

What are the symptoms?

Not everybody with AFib knows they have it. According to a 2025 survey sponsored by the American Stroke Association (a division of the American Heart Association), 62% of people diagnosed with AFib had no prior knowledge of the condition before their diagnosis. Some people with AFib have no symptoms at all, which is sometimes called “silent” AFib.

Those who do experience symptoms may have any of the following:

• Fatigue

• Shortness of breath

• Heart palpitations (a racing, fluttering or pounding heartbeat)

• Weakness

• Chest pain or discomfort

• Dizziness or lightheadedness

• Reduced ability to exercise

As always, if symptoms you or a loved one are experiencing feel urgent and life-threatening — including chest pain, fainting or signs of a stroke such as sudden face drooping, arm weakness or trouble speaking —call 911 immediately.

Though they may vary from person to person, the appearance of these symptoms can complicate daily life, limiting the ability to exercise and contributing to anxiety or emotional distress, Mayo Clinic experts say. And because AFib episodes can be unpredictable, this condition can impact a person’s overall quality of life.

The chance of being diagnosed with AFib increases as we get older. The condition also appears to carry a greater risk of stroke for women than for men. Per this 2026 review in NPJ Women’s Health, women with AFib face roughly a 20% to 30% higher risk of stroke than men with AFib, and they tend to have poorer recovery after a stroke.

How is AFib diagnosed?

Doctors typically diagnose AFib using an electrocardiogram, or EKG, which records the heart’s electrical activity and can reveal irregular rhythms. But because AFib come and go, standard EKG might not catch it.

For that reason, doctors may turn to other monitoring tools that track heart activity over longer periods. For example, a Holter monitor can record the heart’s rhythm for 24 hours or longer. Some smartwatches can also detect irregular rhythms, which should prompt a further evaluation by a healthcare provider.

Other wearable devices can help with the diagnosis, say experts at the Mayo Clinic. An event recorder, worn for up to 30 days, records brief periods of heart activity — either when a patient presses a button during symptoms, or by detecting them automatically. An implantable loop recorder can monitor the heart for several years.

An echocardiogram (often referred to as an “echo”) may also be used to look for underlying heart problems. This imaging test uses sound waves to create a live video of your beating heart, helping doctors see how well your heart is pumping and check for problems with the heart’s chambers and valves that can contribute to AFib.

How is AFib treated?

Treatment for AFib depends on a person’s symptoms and overall health, but the goals are to prevent blood clots and stroke, control the heart rate and, when needed, restore or maintain a normal heart rhythm. These treatments could include:

• blood thinners (anticoagulants) to reduce the risk of blood clots and stroke in people whose stroke risk is high enough to need them

• medications such as beta blockers or calcium channel blockers to control the heart rate

• antiarrhythmic medications to help restore or maintain a normal rhythm

• procedures like electrical cardioversion or catheter ablation to return the heart to a normal rhythm

• for some people who can’t take long-term blood thinners, a procedure to close off the left atrial appendage, a small pouch in the heart where most AFib-related clots form

Healthcare providers often recommend managing high blood pressure, diabetes, sleep apnea and obesity, which all can contribute to AFib complications and episodes.

Can AFib be prevented?

AFib isn’t always preventable. Genetics and conditions such as thyroid disease can increase your risk. But heart-healthy habits can help lower the odds of developing AFib and its complications.

The American Heart Association recommends the following risk reduction habits:

1. regular exercise
2. a balanced diet
3. maintaining a healthy weight
4. managing blood pressure and cholesterol
5. getting enough sleep
6. getting checked and treated for sleep apnea
7. avoiding smoking
8. limiting alcohol

Check out ArchWell Health’s guides to heart healthy nutrition and exercise inspiration.

ArchWell Health Has Your Back – and Heart

If you’ve felt your heart racing or beating irregularly, or your smartwatch has detected an arrhythmia, ArchWell Health can help. If you have questions about AFib or your heart health, talk to your primary care provider today.