Service
Atrial fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation is the most common sustained heart rhythm disturbance. It can cause palpitations, breathlessness and fatigue, and it increases the risk of stroke. Some people have no symptoms and are diagnosed incidentally.
Assessment
A thorough assessment establishes the type and burden of AF, identifies any underlying or contributing conditions, and quantifies your stroke risk. This usually involves a clinical review, an ECG, ambulatory rhythm monitoring, blood tests, and an echocardiogram.
Treatment
Management is built around three aims: reducing stroke risk where appropriate, controlling the heart rate, and — where it is the right approach — restoring and maintaining normal rhythm. Rhythm control options include medication, cardioversion, and catheter ablation, which is increasingly offered earlier in the course of AF for suitable patients.
When to seek urgent help
If you develop chest pain, severe breathlessness, or symptoms of a stroke, call 999.
Common questions
Is atrial fibrillation dangerous?
AF itself is rarely immediately life-threatening, but it increases the risk of stroke and, if the heart rate is poorly controlled over time, can affect heart function. Assessing and managing these risks is the central goal of treatment.
Do I need to be on blood thinners?
This depends on your individual stroke risk, assessed using a validated score, balanced against your bleeding risk. Not everyone with AF needs anticoagulation, and the decision is made together with you.
Can atrial fibrillation be cured?
In many people, catheter ablation can substantially reduce or eliminate AF episodes, particularly when treatment is offered earlier. Whether ablation is appropriate depends on the type of AF, your symptoms, and other factors.
Related services
Palpitations & SVT
Investigation of palpitations and supraventricular tachycardia.
Read moreSyncope & blackouts
Structured work-up of fainting, blackouts and unexplained collapse.
Read moreCatheter ablation
Curative procedures for AF, flutter, SVT and ventricular arrhythmia.
Read moreLast reviewed: June 2026. Reviewed by Dr Iain Sim.