Atrial fibrillation in older adults treatment

Atrial fibrillation conditions have significantly increased in the United States as well as other parts of the world. Fighting off this condition has been made significantly difficult by the high degree of discrimination in healthcare institutions. This paper focuses on discussing how atrial fibrillation has impacted older adults. The paper defines the concept of atrial fibrillation and how it occurs mostly in older adults. Prevention strategies and treatment procedures for the condition are also discussed. AF may be contracting by anyone regardless of their age or gender. Even though older adults may conduct atrial fibrillation are at a greater chance of contracting the condition as compared to other people. This paper focuses on proving the argument stated above by giving succinct evidence to support the claim.

The heart has four chambers. The two upper chambers are known as atria, and the two lower chambers are referred to as ventricles. The signal then moves to the atrioventricular node and then to the ventricles, causing them to contract and pump blood (Rapoza, 2017). However, in AF, the signal is quite uncoordinated, initiating an irregular pumping mechanism. This causes the atria to quiver, instead of contracting to pump blood (Rapoza, 2017). This cause the heart's pumping mechanism to be very inefficient. AF is associated with increased mortality as it can cause sudden death. More than 2. 3 million individuals in the US suffer from the disease (Rodriguez et al. , 2015, p. This number is expected to increase by 100% in the next five years. It is estimated that about 10 40% of AF patients are hospitalized each year.

Secondly, there is the point about the aging of the heart. Due to the role that the heart plays in the body, it ages over time. This occurs in two main ways. The first is due to the stretching of the atria. Over time the upper chambers of the heart are likely going to stretch, and in many cases, this will cause fibrillation. On these stages of hypertension one is at a higher risk of getting AF as compared to the prehypertension stage or when the person is in control of their blood pressure levels. The primary cause of hypertension is narrowing down of blood vessels. This occurs due to any reason the primary and leading reason being cigarette smoking. Other reason includes lack of exercises and practicing unhealthy lifestyles such as regularly talking fatty foods.

Other than the above-stated reasons hypertension may also occur due to old age (Shimers, 2019). Cardiac ablation is a procedure that uses targeted energy source to scar part of the heart tissue to correct irregular heartbeats. Cardiac ablations help normalize heartbeat. It has been used as a last resort when other treatment methods such as pharmacotherapy have failed to achieve good outcomes. For an individual to undergo cardiac ablation, they must not have an infection and should have good health to enable them to undergo the procedure safely. The procedure can be done through non-invasive catheter ablation, or through a surgical procedure that is quite invasive. Special care must be taken with the elderly. Healthcare professionals are advised to make treatment decision by age, and the general health status of the patient.

Less invasive procedures are recommended for elderly patients (Katzner et al. For instance, the use of automatic cardioverter defibrillator could be a better option than a surgical procedure. Radiofrequency catheter ablation is preferred for older patients. The quantity and quality of communication between a doctor and a patient can be predicted using the class of an individual. Evidence suggests that the quantity and quality of communication between a healthcare provider and a patient have are based on the perception of the clinician about the patient's socioeconomic status and most often their ethnicity. Discrimination in healthcare reflects the ills that exist in our society today which include classism that is embedded in the larger society. When healthcare providers are discriminate against patients, they treat them as if they are not their equals or as if they are not crucial like they (Hausmann et al.

It is critical that policies within healthcare institutions prohibit discrimination and condemn it in the highest possible terms. The report also concluded that the quality of healthcare and access to healthcare decreased with deteriorating socioeconomic circumstances. This implies that it will be increasingly difficult for older patients who have atrial fibrillation and are in a low socioeconomic status to obtain the required health care. This increases the risk that they face from atrial fibrillation. The belief in meritocracy could be diminishing in the US and the world at large with increasing awareness about the effects of classism (Lott, 2012). This creates an opportunity for class issues to be highlighted in the society, and within academic circles. This is critical in ensuring quality care for all people irrespective of the socio-economic status.

Income-related inequalities continue to persist in healthcare. People with a higher income are likely to seek the services of a doctor or more specifically, a specialist than their poor counterparts (Devaux, 2013). Inequalities in preventive care exist in nearly all countries of the world with magnitudes varying among different countries. A significant reason for inequalities is the lack of a universal health coverage system (Devaux, 2013). There is also the need to educate healthcare providers about using a positive affective tone during their interactions with the patient. This can be done by making them aware that their tone corresponds to that of the patients. Extensive care for elderly patients increases the chances of cardiac ablation working, but it does not ultimately guarantee the success of this procedure since there are several risks or complications involved.

For instance, there exists a risk of reaction to anesthesia. There is also the possibility of developing an infection following the procedure. What is more worrying is that the incidence and the prevalence of the disease are expected to rise in the coming decades. In the US, hospital admissions due to atrial fibrillation are quite high, having reached 479,000 in 2010 (Sieck, 2016, p. The cost of healthcare comes from the direct costs as well as the costs of managing the complications of the disease and its comorbid conditions. The cost of healthcare due to atrial fibrillation is expected to rise by $6 to $26 billion annually (Sieck, 2016, p. New management strategies for the disease are being developed. Even the condition does not have an immediate threat to the life of the patient regular episodes of AF are life-threatening.

Atrial fibrillation poses a danger to many people in society regardless of their age. The condition is however more severe in older adults due to several reasons. Underlying heart conditions that develop as one age is one of the main factors that cause atrial fibrillation in older adults. Another major issue is the aging of the heart. First, considering the causative factors of atrial fibrillation such as lack of proper exercise and hypertension people should focus on practicing healthy lifestyles from an early age. This will reduce the chances of heart related issues and complications in future. In the practice of healthy lifestyle patients should also ensure that they desist from the use of drugs such as cigarettes and heavy drinking which could lead to hypertension conversely leading to AF.

Secondly, the government should set out a healthy fund specifically focused on handling atrial fibrillation among older adults. This will ensure that older adults with such conditions get the care that they need at a subsidized cost thus reducing the health care costs incurred and the mortality rate due to AF. Atrial Fibrillation in the Elderly.  Drugs & Aging, 19(11), 819-846. doi: 10. 2165/00002512-200219110-00002 Curtis, A. , Karki, R. DeWilde, S, et al (2006). Trends in the prevalence of diagnosed atrial fibrillation, its treatment with anticoagulation and predictors of such treatment in UK primary care. Heart, 92(8) 1064-1070. Douthit, N. , et al (2015). 1016/j. amjmed. 026 Hausmann, L et al. Impact of Perceived Discrimination in Healthcare on Patient-Provider Communication. Medical Care, 49 (9), 626-633. nlm. nih. gov/pmc/articles/PMC5641643/ Langhout, R.