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Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation-Is It Considered Cardio Vascular Disease?

Posted , 12 users are following.

magpie12
magpie12

Hi

Wonder if anyone can help with a definitive answer? I've been diagnosed with Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation(PAF). I have no other heart conditions and, thankfully, it seems well controlled.

My daughter got a medical survey asking if any of her parents had cardio vascular disease(CVD). Yes or No are the only possible answers, My knee jerk reaction was to say: yes. However, thinking of it more and googling it a bit I'm not so sure! It seems to suggest it is a condition that can lead to CVD or make it more likely but might not actually be considered to be CVD in and of itself.

Can anyone give me a definitive answer to this one?

Cheers and thanks in advance for any helpful responses.

1 like, 15 replies

15 Replies

  • mazieboo22
    mazieboo22 magpie12

    Posted

    Hi, when I was first diagnosed with it I was going on hols a few weeks later and I asked the Consultant about travel insurance and he said I did not need to declare it as it was random problem and did not require medication. I think it would depend of visits to hospital or if you are constantly on medication for this purpose. I take warfarin now for it.
    • derek76
      derek76 mazieboo22

      Posted

      You will need to declare Warfarin when you take out travel insurance in case you have a bleed or an accident. Many employers will not employ people taking Warfarin or NOAC's.in case of accidents.

    • Okapis
      Okapis derek76

      Posted

      Derek - discriminating on the basis of medication taken is illegal certainly in the UK!!!
    • derek76
      derek76 Okapis

      Posted

      Tell that to firemen and policemen. Some have reported it on this Forum as did a school teacher.

      Do you have a link to the legislation?

       

    • mazieboo22
      mazieboo22 derek76

      Posted

      I always declare my medication I have an injection I have to take with me and get a letter off the doctor to cover that too.
    • derek76
      derek76 mazieboo22

      Posted

      A neighbour on Warfarin with unknown stomach polyps had a massive bleed while on holiday. It cost him several thousand Euros for transfusions and his hospital stay as his insurance would not cover him.
  • Okapis
    Okapis magpie12

    Posted

    PAF is the misfiring of electrical signals in the heart - so no not a cardio vascular disease. I would not mention it unless you're episodes are frequent and you're taking medication for it. I take it the episodes are self terminating after a period of time?

    Have you worked out if you have any specific food and drink triggers to AF episodes? Alcohol, chocolate, monosodium glutamate  and so on can trigger episodes. My brother found alcohol and takeways surefire triggers. With me it was over exerting myself. We had a familial type of AF though.

    The more I read the more it appears there are several routes to setting off AF and so many different approaches to controlling it, living comfortably and not scaring yourself half to death as stress will precipitate more episodes! Medication varies a lot too over different countries. You in the UK?

    • magpie12
      magpie12 Okapis

      Posted

      Much obliged for that. The episodes are thankfully rare and have self terminated apart from one which was dealt with by cardioversion. 

      I've tried to see if I can work out what causes the episodes but without certainty-I feel very stressful situations appear to be a trigger. I haven't noticed any foodstuffs or drinks making any difference personally. There also seems to be little reason behind why they stop as well!

      UK, yes.

  • jimjames
    jimjames magpie12

    Posted

    PAF, among other things -- high bp, being overweight, metabolic syndrome --  can eventually cause cardio vascular disease, but it is not a cardio vascular disease. So the answer is "no".

    Jim

  • terence68672
    terence68672 magpie12

    Posted

    Hi,

    CVD is the plumbing and PAF is electrical. Sure CVD can lead to electrical problems, but not really the other way around. You dont have CVD.

    :-) 

  • cardiac_congo
    cardiac_congo magpie12

    Posted

    I agree with the "no" group. Asked my consultant and that was his response, and as also noted, non-declarable for car insurance (certainly in my case) too. A heart MRI also confirms no CVD, again, in my case.

  • John5006
    John5006 magpie12

    Posted

    Hi Magpie,

    I have paroxysmal AF and from my view it is a condition. NOT a disease.

    ​I often travel to Australia and have no problems taking out travel insurance declaring all my medical conditions and medications.

    ​My trigger is a dysfunctional vagal nerve which is aggravated by certain foods. Drinks no problem. There is also a genetic influence too.

    John

  • BampaOwl
    BampaOwl magpie12

    Posted

    Agreed, not CVD. I first got PAF three years ago - on my first bout (only) I passed out, and that caused a 6-month driving ban and increased my travel insurance premia. Not too horrendous. In the last year it has been less under control, and in December I had cryo-ablation, which seems to have been a success.

    I think stress sometimes set off my AF, but sometimes it just came! And just went ...

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