心房顫動對大眾健康的影響：盛行率和栓塞性腦中風率

The Impact of Atrial Fibrillation on Public Health: Prevalence and Embolic Stroke Rate

心房顫動可說是台灣老年人盛行率及發生率最高的持續性心律不整。不論是盛行率及發生率也都有逐年攀升趨勢。這當然跟此心律不整越來越被重視，越來越多診斷工具的使用有關。因此稱心房顫動為一個公衛健康議題應該不為過。心房顫動的致病機轉非常複雜，臨床通常可以分成陣發性、持續性、及永久性。危險因子包括：年紀、肥胖、糖尿病、高血壓、高血脂、冠心症、心衰竭、腎衰竭、瓣膜疾病、甲狀腺疾病、睡眠呼吸中止症、癌症等等。因此要了解心房顫動真正的盛行率及發生率，對於瞭解並診斷這些相關疾病也是非常重要的一環。心房顫動到底會有甚麼健康危害呢？最顯著的併發症是中風、全身性栓塞及心衰竭。死亡或中風對於一個家庭來說，都是很沉重的負擔。我們應該要正視心房顫動對於台灣國人健康的影響並好好教育台灣國人以達到早期預防早期治療的目標。

Atrial fibrillation can be said to be the prevalence and the highest incidence of persistent arrhythmia in Taiwan. Both the prevalence rate and the incidence rate have been increasing year by year. Of course, atrial fibrillation is increasingly being valued, and more and more diagnostic tools are used. Therefore, atrial fibrillation should not be overemphasized for a public health issue. The pathogenesis of atrial fibrillation is very complex and clinically can be divided into paroxysmal, persistent, and permanent. Risk factors include: age, obesity, diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, coronary heart disease, heart failure, kidney failure, valvular heart disease, thyroid disease, sleep apnea, cancer, and more. Therefore, understanding the true prevalence and incidence of atrial fibrillation is also a very important part of understanding and diagnosing these related diseases. What are the health risks of atrial fibrillation? The most significant complications are stroke, systemic embolism, and heart failure. Death or stroke is a heavy burden for a family. We should face up to the impact of atrial fibrillation on the health of Taiwanese people and educate Taiwanese people to achieve the goal of early prevention of early treatment.