Healthline Presents:
Atrial Fibrillation

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The award winning Healthline series gives viewers a daily dose of what they need to take control of their health care concerns. Hosted by Kevin J. Soden, M.D., author of The Art of Medicine: What Every Doctor and Patient Should Know, Healthline offers viewers a first-hand look at the illnesses and concerns we all face as we get older. Patients share their personal health care experiences along with leading medical experts who offer tips for viewers to become better advocates for themselves. Whether it’s chronic, cosmetic, or just confusing, medical issues are tempered with wisdom humility and humor. In a world full of medical questions, Healthline is the answer to what ails you.

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Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a condition in which the upper chambers of the heart beat in an uncoordinated and disorganized fashion, resulting in a very irregular and fast rhythm that is out of step with the lower chambers. When blood is not completely pumped out of these heart chambers, it can pool and clot. If a blood clot forms and exits the heart it could cause serious consequences, including stroke The likelihood of developing atrial fibrillation increases with age:

  • AF is present in less than 1 percent of the general population
  • About 5% of the population over the age of 65 has AF
Not all people with atrial fibrillation experience symptoms. Find out if you’re at risk, and what you need to know about the condition on a special episode of Healthline.

Meet Your Host

Kevin Soden

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Emmy award-winning medical journalist Kevin Soden, M.D. spent two decades as an emergency room physician prior to his television career. In addition to his medical degree, Dr. Soden holds a Masters in Public Health from the Medical College of Wisconsin. He has authored two books, including the critically acclaimed The Art of Medicine: What Every Doctor and Patient Should Know,and is soon to publish his third, Women, Stress and Happiness: 10 Steps to Having It All and Saving Your Life. Among his many accolades, Dr. Soden garnered the 2008 Award for Excellence in Medical Reporting by the National Association of Medical Communicators, the second time he has been honored with this distinction. He is also one of the original inductees into the University of Florida's Medical Wall of Fame.