National Atrial Fibrillation Awareness Month is observed in September and sponsored by the American Foundation for Women’s Health. Atrial Fibrillation, also known as AFib or AF, is the most common arrhythmia.

National Atrial Fibrillation Awareness Month raises awareness that AFib is characterized by a rapid and irregular heartbeat caused when the top chambers of the heart (the atria) quiver (fibrillate) erratically, sometimes faster than 200 times per minute. The condition can have a significant negative impact on an individual’s quality of life, causing heart palpitations, chronic fatigue, debilitating pain and can increase the risk of stroke fivefold.