Cardiovascular Diseases



Cardiovascular Diseases

Atrial fibrillation (AF)
AF is the most common abnormal heart rhythm (cardiac arrhythmia) and can have significant consequences, including heart failure, stroke and death. People with AF usually have a significantly increased risk of stroke (up to seven times that of the general population).  The irregular heart beats that characterize AF result from the uncontrolled electrical stimulation of the heart muscle in part caused by the malfunction of gap junctions, which are specialized pores in the heart’s muscle cells that ensure the coordinated transmission of electrical impulses from cell to cell across the heart.

Acute kidney injury
Acute kidney injury (AKI) has serious consequences, including kidney failure (requiring dialysis or kidney transplant) or death. AKI frequently results from or following major cardiac surgery, of which coronary artery bypass grafts and heart valve replacements are the most common.  

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