Palliser Primary Care Network

Atrial Fibrillation: What Patients Need to Know

Terra Sallenbach
September 2, 2026

What Is Atrial Fibrillation?

Atrial fibrillation – often called A-fib – is the most common type of irregular heartbeat. In atrial fibrillation, the upper chambers of the heart are beating in a fast, disorganized way, which can prevent the heart from pumping blood effectively. Currently in Canada, evidence suggests that atrial fibrillation affects nearly one million Canadians and will increase significantly as the population ages increasing from 1%-2% to substantially higher (Canadian Cardiovascular Society, 2020).

What Does It Feel Like?

The feeling of atrial fibrillation differs from person to person. Some may experience palpitations and are aware of the irregular beating of the heart. Others may feel chest discomfort, breathlessness, lightheadedness, dizziness or general tiredness without palpitations. However, some have no symptoms at all and are only alerted to their atrial fibrillation by using a smart watch or heart monitor. The reason why some people experience symptoms with atrial fibrillation while others don’t remains unclear (AFib Matters, n.d.).

Who Is At Risk?

According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation (n.d.), the most common risk factors for developing atrial fibrillation are:

• elevated blood pressure;
• coronary artery disease;
• diabetes;
• heavy alcohol use;
• unhealthy weight;
• sleep apnea; and
• family history.

Atrial fibrillation becomes more common with age in older adults. Heart disease and other congenital conditions can also play a role.

Why Does It Matter?

Atrial fibrillation significantly raises the risk of stroke. When the heart beats irregularly, it can cause blood to pool and form clots in the heart, which can travel to the brain, causing a stroke. The Heart and Stroke Foundation (n.d.) reports that 20% of ischemic (clot related) strokes are attributed to atrial fibrillation. It can also be linked to heart failure and other serious health conditions if untreated.

What Can You Do?

Healthy lifestyle choices can help to prevent atrial fibrillation or at least reduce its impact. Managing elevated blood pressure, eating a well-balanced diet, staying active through daily exercise, and maintaining a healthy weight can decrease your risk of atrial fibrillation.

Poor sleep quality related to sleep apnea can also increase the risk of atrial fibrillation by 18%, and those who experience insomnia are 40% more likely to develop atrial fibrillation. Binge drinking has been shown to weaken the heart muscle and make it more difficult to pump blood to the rest of the body, making the heart more susceptible to atrial fibrillation (Michigan Medicine, 2022).

Healthy lifestyle changes are highly encouraged. If you are experiencing irregular heartbeat, fatigue, or breathlessness talk to your primary care provider. Early detection and treatment make a real difference.