Sep 6, 2026
Atrial fibrillation, or AFib, is one of the most common heart rhythm disorders—and it’s not just something to worry about “when you’re older.” In this episode, Dr. Arfaat Khan, a cardiac electrophysiologist, explains what AFib is, the symptoms you shouldn’t ignore, who may be at risk, and why catching and treating it early can make a real difference. We also talk about catheter ablation, a minimally invasive treatment that can help restore a normal heart rhythm, and why more patients may benefit from knowing this option exists.
For more information about what Dr. Khan discussed in this episode, go to GetSmartAboutAFib.com
Transcript:
06:14:16 --> 06:14:19
Dr. Arfaat Khan: Hi Marijo, thank you for having me on the
show.
06:14:18 --> 06:14:23
Marijo Tinlin: Hey, thank you. Absolutely. Let me get started
here.
06:14:27 --> 06:14:48
Marijo Tinlin: Hello, this is Marijo Tinlin from the Teaching Your
Toddler show. Today we have a great episode. We are recording in
September, which is the beginning of AFib Awareness Month, and we
have a special guest, Dr. Arfaat Khan, is with us to talk to us
about that. So, first of all, doctor, welcome to the show. Tell us
a little bit. What is AFib?
06:14:48 --> 06:14:59
Dr. Arfaat Khan: So, thank you, Marijo, for having me on the show
today. So, atrial fibrillation, also known as AFib, is a very
common heart rhythm disorder in which the top chambers of the heart
start to beat periodically.
06:14:59 --> 06:15:10
Dr. Arfaat Khan: It's a very common condition. Over 55 million
people globally are affected by it, and if left untreated, it can
lead to serious complications.
06:15:10 --> 06:15:14
Marijo Tinlin: Oh, wow. So how do you know that you have it?
06:15:14 --> 06:15:23
Dr. Arfaat Khan: So, patients can present with different types of
symptoms. You can have anxiety, palpitations, feeling your heart
skipping beats.
06:15:23 --> 06:15:31
Dr. Arfaat Khan: Uh, feeling tired, short of breath, basically
having difficulty carrying on the normal routines that you're able
to do without any problem.
06:15:31 --> 06:15:44
Dr. Arfaat Khan: You have to understand that AFib is a progressive
condition. It starts out in the early stage and then can later
progress down to the point where you can't get rid of it, so that's
why it's very, very important to identify it and treat it
early.
06:15:44 --> 06:15:58
Dr. Arfaat Khan: And it's also important that if you are diagnosed
with atrial fibrillation, that you should be referred to a cardiac
electrophysiologist, which is actually a specialized cardiologist
who are specially trained to identify and manage the different
aspects of atrial fibrillation.
06:16:00 --> 06:16:06
Marijo Tinlin: What? Can you explain what an electrophysiologist
is? That's you.
06:16:05 --> 06:16:18
Dr. Arfaat Khan: Yeah, so I'm an electrophysiologist, so an
electrophysiologist is basically a physician that's actually a
cardiologist, but has advanced training in managing different heart
rhythm disorders, and AFib is actually one of the most common heart
rhythm disorders.
06:16:17 --> 06:16:26
Marijo Tinlin: Oh, wow. Okay, so how old do you tend to see your
patients, or how early should a patient start to think about
this?
06:16:26 --> 06:16:41
Dr. Arfaat Khan: So, recent studies show that the earlier you
diagnose AFib and treat it, the better the outcomes, because AFib
is a progressive condition. Um, so within, you know, a month to at
least within a year of treatment of AFib actually leads to better
patient outcomes.
06:16:42 --> 06:16:47
Marijo Tinlin: Are there any pre-existing conditions that you tend
to see with patients?
06:16:47 --> 06:16:58
Dr. Arfaat Khan: So some patients can have, like, hypertension,
diabetes, you know, history of heart failure, but generally, the
older you get, these are the more common risk factors of
development of AFib.
06:16:59 --> 06:17:04
Marijo Tinlin: And so, there are some new options for treatment
that you're going to tell us about.
06:17:04 --> 06:17:19
Dr. Arfaat Khan: Yeah, although there are different, many treatment
options available, catheter ablation is a very safe, minimally
invasive procedure in which we go into the heart and help identify
where the faulty electrical signals are, target them, and help
restore normal rhythm.
06:17:19 --> 06:17:33
Dr. Arfaat Khan: It's an outpatient procedure. Um, as I said, it's
minimally invasive. Most patients are able to go home that same
day. They have little to no discomfort after the procedure, and
typically they resume their normal activities within a few days
after the procedure is done.
06:17:33 --> 06:17:48
Dr. Arfaat Khan: I personally use the Cardo 3D electroanatomical
mapping system, and this mapping system helps me reconstruct the
patient's heart's anatomy, and also helps me localize where the
faulty electrical signals are, so that I can specifically tailor
each therapy.
06:17:48 --> 06:17:54
Dr. Arfaat Khan: individual to the patient. And that actually leads
to improved patient success and improved patient outcomes.
06:17:54 --> 06:18:05
Dr. Arfaat Khan: But it's important to understand that although 55
million people globally are affected by atrial fibrillation, only
5% of eligible patients are actually getting this catheter ablation
procedure done.
06:18:05 --> 06:18:13
Marijo Tinlin: Is that just because they don't know or is it
because doctors don't know to refer this or what's causing
that?
06:18:12 --> 06:18:26
Dr. Arfaat Khan: I think it's a common, you know, it's a multitude
of different things, right? With September being AFib Awareness
Month, our goal is to help increase awareness about what AFib is,
and what therapies are actually available to treat atrial
fibrillation, such as catheter ablation.
06:18:26 --> 06:18:32
Marijo Tinlin: Excellent. So is it usually referred from a PCP
then? Sorry, a primary care physician?
06:18:32 --> 06:18:49
Dr. Arfaat Khan: Yeah, primary care physician, ER physicians,
cardiologists, anyone can actually refer to a cardiac
electrophysiologist. But as a patient, there are multiple different
resources available too. So if you think you have AFib, Johnson &
Johnson actually has a website called GetSmartAboutAFib.com.
06:18:49 --> 06:18:57
Dr. Arfaat Khan: Which actually has a lot of educational videos,
testimonials, and even a questionnaire to see if you qualify for a
catheter ablation procedure.
06:18:57 --> 06:19:12
Marijo Tinlin: Oh, excellent. Well, thank you. Of course, I was
going to ask you for more information, so we'll make sure that that
link is available for the listeners. Thank you so much. This is a
fascinating topic, and I'm glad that you brought it. And thank you
so much for joining us today.
06:19:11 --> 06:19:14
Dr. Arfaat Khan: Thank you very much for having me. Appreciate
it.
06:19:13 --> 06:19:15
Marijo Tinlin: Absolutely.
Dr. Arfaat Khan's biography:
Dr. Arfaat Khan is a board-certified cardiac electrophysiologist specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of heart rhythm disorders, including atrial fibrillation, supraventricular tachycardia, ventricular arrhythmias, cardiac device implantation, and complex catheter ablation procedures. He is also an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Wayne State University and Michigan State University, where he is actively involved in teaching the next generation of physicians.