What is Atrial Fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation (AFib or AF) is a health condition where a patient has abnormal heart rhythms where their heart usually beats faster which prevent blood from moving to the ventricles effectively. In a healthy individual, the two upper chambers of their heart (the atria) contract and relax in coordination with the two lower chambers (the ventricles).
Atrial Fibrillation increases the risk of heart-related illnesses and other conditions. AF can make the heart eject a blood clot which can cause heart failure or stroke, or the clot can travel to the lungs and legs causing Pulmonary Embolism (PE) and Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) respectively.
Atrial Fibrillation is one of the most common causes of strokes accounting for about 15-20% of all strokes in America. If you have other health conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, vascular disease, mini-stroke, there is a higher risk of getting a stroke if you have AF.
Symptoms of Atrial Fibrillation
Symptoms of AF include body weakness, shortness of breath and palpitations. Some individuals get occasional attacks while others get the attacks repeatedly. Repeated AF occurrences require urgent treatment.
Who Is At Risk of Developing Atrial Fibrillation
Atrial Fibrillation is very common, affecting over 2.7 Million Americans. Individuals who are over 65 years old have a higher risk of getting AF than younger persons and about 10-20% of them contract it. Also, women who are older than 65 years old have a higher chance of contracting AF than men of the same age.
How Blood Thinners are used to reduce the risk of Stroke
Strokes that are caused by AF are big in magnitude and often lead to disability and death. Therefore, if you are diagnosed with the condition, the main focus of your doctor will be to prevent a stroke. The doctor will start by putting you on anticoagulants (Blood thinners) and monitor your health for a while, but if you have had a mini-stroke in the past, the doctor will put you on blood thinners for life.
Eliquis(Apixaban) For Managing Atrial Fibrillation
Apixaban is a blood thinner drug and comes under the brand name Eliquis. The drug prevents particular enzymes in the blood from forming blood clots thereby preventing strokes and blood clots in patients diagnosed with AF. It is also used to reduce the risk of developing Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) and Pulmonary Embolism (PE).
Treatment Costs
If you are uninsured or underinsured, you can lower the costs of your Atrial Fibrillation medication by applying for the Patient assistance programs (PAPs). The program provides free or discounted drugs to patients who pass the eligibility test.
You can also join the Free Prescription Assistance Program which can help you save up to 90% of Eliquis cost. Sign up for an Eliquis coupon for an opportunity to get wholesale and discounted prices.
A Healthy Lifestyle
Prevention is better than cure and therefore if you have experienced the symptoms of Atrial Fibrillation once or repeatedly, please consult your doctor immediately to prevent any risks of disability and death due to stroke.
And if you are at high risk of developing strokes, a healthy lifestyle will also reduce the chances of occurrence. Make it your goal to sleep well, eat a healthy diet, avoid alcohol, lose weight, stop smoking, manage high blood pressure and diabetes effectively if you have the conditions.