Dr B David Cross Heartcare Partners
Medical in Brisbane

What is a Stroke and What Causes it to Happen? Our cardiologists are committed to regularly visiting regional sites in Queensland to bear cardiology services to patients who otherwise would not have access to these services. HeartCare Partners has been built around a philosophy of high quality care and clinical excellence. This has meant all aspects of our business are driven by a powerful patient focus something we trust sets us apart from the rest. We exist to load the treatment gap for the biggest disease burdens in Australia cancer and heart protection in an environment of substantial unmet demand from an aging population. The AF center of Excellence concentrates expertise in the knowledge and treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF). The normal electrical trigger for the heart beat in the top chambers (atria) of the heart becomes disrupted by rapid, erratic electrical signals that result in a quivering motion of the top chambers (so called atrial fibrillation) rather than the regular pumping action. The erratic electrical signals are transmitted to the lower chambers of the heart and cause a reduced efficiency of the overall heart pumping function. Maximum people flourish symptoms from the arrhythmia, which affects their quality of life. It is healthy known that insignificant numbers of people with AF don't seem to have any awareness of the arrhythmia but it remains indistinct why symptoms can vary so much from person to person. Palpitations a fluttering or thumping feeling in the chest or throat. Feelings of irritability, anxiety or generally unwell. The majority of AF is caused by other underlying heart problems or other conditions such as tall blood pressure (hypertension) and sleep apnoea. The slim walled top chambers of the heart become enlarged or damaged by these conditions leading to the abnormal erratic electrical signals. In some cases no other heart problem is present and AF could be caused by thyroid problems, over activity of vagal nerve inputs to the heart or a genetic abnormality. It is urgent to treat or control any underlying condition, which could be causing AF for successful treatment. The inefficiency of the heart pumping action caused by AF may lead to weakness of the heart muscle and heart failure, or a worsening of any existing heart problems. One of the uppermost health risks from AF is an increased risk of stroke. People with a current or previous diagnosis of AF have around 5 times the risk of having a stroke as a person without AF. AF leads to an increased risk of a blood clot forming in the top chambers of the heart (in particular left atrial appendage connect to stroke prevention treatments page), which, if it dislodges and travels to the brain, results in a stroke. Being in conventional rhythm rather than AF does not necessarily decrease the risk of blood clots and stroke. Whether AF responds to treatments to revitalize conventional rhythm may depend on the type of AF. The type of AF is characterized by the duration of the arrhythmia and individual episodes. The presence of consecutive AF is obvious to lead to progressive damage and scarring of the top chambers of the heart, which may significantly decrease the efficacy of diverse treatments to restore normal rhythm.