Engebretson, MarkAlvaro Alonso2023-10-192023-10-192011-09-20https://hdl.handle.net/11299/257594Runtime 1:30 minutesThis resource is provided for informational purposes only and may not reflect current scientific knowledge or medical recommendations.Welcome to Public Health Moment from the University of Minnesota. September is atrial fibrillation month, a time to raise awareness about this condition, which causes an irregular and often rapid heart rate. Atrial fibrillation affects more than 2 million Americans. According to Alvaro Alonzo, an associate professor of public health at the University of Minnesota, an irregular heartbeat can lead to stroke, heart failure, and an early death. Recent research by Alonzo, however, has found that the condition is preventable by, among other things, improving diet and increasing exercise. <Alonzo: "Our main finding was that avoiding cardiovascular risk factors like hypertension, obesity, diabetes, etc., we might be able to prevent between 50 and 60 percent of cases of atrial fibrillation occurring in the population. “Our recommendation to the public is to follow the existing guidelines for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases that focus on having a healthy diet, having an appropriate weight, and having an active lifestyle. Those recommendations that are applicable to other heart diseases also might be applicable to atrial fiblliration.”> Although the results were not surprising, Alonzo said that this was the first time a large study was undertaken to show this relationship between an irregular heartbeat and cardiovascular risk factors. <Alonzo: "In the last few years there has been an increased interest in showing that atrial fibrillation is actually preventable. And our study puts numbers to those.”> For public health moment, I'm Mark Engebretson.enAudio