Consumer Reports Health - Heart and circulation - Atrial fibrillation

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How common is atrial fibrillation?

Atrial fibrillation is quite common.

It tends to affect older people. About 1 in 200 middle aged people, and about 1 in 10 of those aged 80 or older, have atrial fibrillation.¹

Sources for the information on this page:

Freestone B, Lip GYH. Epidemiology and costs of cardiac arrhythmias. In: Lip GYH, Godtfredsen J (editors). Cardiac arrhythmias: a clinical approach. Mosby, Edinburgh, UK; 2003.

This information was last updated in Jul 25, 2008

This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment. ©BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2008. All rights reserved.