On Saturday, September 7th, 2019 Birgham and Women's Hospital hosted the Atrial Fibrillation Patient Fair at the Carl J. and Ruth Shapiro Cardiovascular Center. Our Caring Bees team was present at this event with the purpose of gaining greater understanding of one of the most common medical conditions that affect our patient base. The event covered topics such as diagnosis, medications, procedures and lifestyle management, all which contribute to a better quality of life with Atrial Fibrillation. 

According to the speakers, a mix of congenital and genetic prepositions of an  individual are responsible for the development of A-Fib. However, lifestyle choices, greatly influence the likelihood of someone developing A-Fib in the future. For example habits such as drinking and obesity are two factors which will increase the likelihood hood of you developing A-Fib. According to the Usha Tedrow MD , a study concluded that patients whom consumed alcohol with high frequency, are prone to develop scaring of their myocardial tissue. The reason being that the study showed that alcohol consumption damaged heart cells. 

One of the key speakers was Dr. Elliot Antman , a provider with over 40 years of experience as a cardiologist and intirist. Dr. Antman has participated in breakthrough research and in the past he served as the president for the American Heat Association. Together with a team of expert clinicians from Bringham and Women's they will be opening the Bringham & Women's Atrial Fibrillation Center of Excellence. The Center, will provide a wide range of services for the patients living with Atrial Fibrillation. The core purpose of the center is to provide care for patients, utilizing a holistic approach that cares for patients both in a clinical setting and at home. The center will provide patients with coordination of medication, lifestyle management, referral management and Telehealth services.

For more information on how Caring Bees is working to provide better care for our patients living with Atrial Fibrillation , please contact Johan Bastidas our Community Liaison at 617-929-0102. For additional resources please visit the Brigham & Women's A-fib support website by clicking here