What Increases Your Risk?

Several factors make AFib more likely:

• Older age – although it can happen at any age
• Having certain conditions that place added strain on the heart, such as:
• Being overweight
• Diabetes
• High blood pressure
• A previous heart attack
• A history of heart surgery
• Heart valve disease
• Heart failure
• Sleep apnea
• Not being active or getting regular exercise
• Smoking and recreational drug use
• Unhealthy alcohol consumption  
• Family history, hyperthyroidism or certain heart conditions you are born with

Pay attention to what might make your symptoms of AFib worse. Be sure to share this information with your health care team.

What might trigger AFib varies a lot from one person to another. For some people, periods of high stress can trigger AFib. For example, fighting off an infection or in the weeks after certain surgeries. A lack of sleep and being dehydrated can also bring on AFib episodes for some people. 

If you have AFib, caffeine is OK and doesn’t need to be avoided, according to the latest data. Of course, if you notice caffeine makes you feel badly, skip it.