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Questions posted in the
Heart Forum have been answered by doctors from The Cleveland Clinic Foundation.
Question Title: atrial fibrilation and ibdForum: The Heart Forum
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I am a 32 year old male with a history of chrohns disease. Over the past 18 months i have developed pvc's that occur on a daily basis and have also experience about a half dozen episodes of atrial fibrilation. Three of these episodes required conversion by medication. I have seen a few references to atrial fibrilation and hiatal hernia and I am wondering if there is any link between chrohns and atrial fibrilation.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Dear Mark First of all, the references to arrhythmia and hiatal hernia are found here on the internet, not in an medical textbook. It is unlikely that there is truly any connection. Regarding IBD and atrial fibrillatiion, there is no direct connection. However, as you know, IBD can cause diarrhea. Thus it can cause dehydration and electrolyte imbalances (such as a low potassium level) which can trigger arrhythmia. Thus, IBD can indirectly contribute to arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation. I hope this has been useful. I wish you the best of luck. Feel free to write back. Information provided here is for general purposes only. Specific questions should be addressed to your own doctor. If you would like to make an appointment at the Cleveland Clinic Heart Center, please call 1-800-CCF-CARE or inquire online by using the Heart Center website at www.ccf.org/heartcenter. The Heart Center website contains a directory of the cardiology staff that can be used to select the physician best suited to address your cardiac problem.
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