John D. Day - The AFib Cure: Get Off Your Medications, Take Control of Your Health, and Add Years to Your Life

Contents

Praise for The AFib Cure

The AFib Cure provides clear step-by-step information that AFib patients can use to cure their AFib. The book contains valuable information about AFib causes, triggers, medications, supplements, diet, biomarkers, and lifestyle changes that you may not have seen anywhere else and probably have not heard from any doctor. Of particular value in the Treatment Section is the tool for determining your Tipping Point for when to have an ablation and the list of Twelve Questions to Ask Your EP. This book provides a complete compendium of what AFib patients need to know. It just might help you stop, or even cure, your AFib.

Mellanie True Hills, founder and CEO, StopAFib.org and author of A Womans Guide to Saving Her Own Life

The AFib Cure is an outstanding and up-to-date tour-de-force patient guide for effectively managingand even eliminatingthe bane that is atrial fibrillation, penned by world-renowned electrophysiologists, Dr. John Day and Dr. T. Jared Bunch. As editor of AFibbers.org, the longest running AFib-centric patient education/advocacy resource online, I enthusiastically salute The AFib Cure for setting a new standard! Written with in-depth yet accessible and easy-to-digest insights into this often-complex topic, the authors offer a comprehensive road map for combining the best of lifestyle optimization protocols plus cutting-edge discoveries from the front lines of electrophysiology. Highly recommended with five stars!

Shannon W. Dickson, editor of The AFib Report at AFibbers.org

The AFib Cure is a thorough, evidence-based guide to help patients with atrial fibrillation. Any patient living with AFib will find inspiration for their own treatment within this book. A must-have book for every patient!

Percy F. Morales MD, author of Your Complete Guide to AFib

Dr. John Day, Dr. T. Jared Bunch, and Matthew D. LaPlante present a credible, easy-to-read, and engaging resource for anyone affected by the electrical epidemic of AFib. With years of experience, knowledge, and research, the authors provide a truly integrative step-by-step plan using science, storytelling, and actionable information. The AFib Cure is a must-read guide for anyone who wants to overcome this major health challenge.

Aseem Desai, MD, FHRS, codirector of Mission Heritage Heart Rhythm Specialists and author of Restart Your Heart: The Playbook for Thriving with AFib

A book for AFib patients that includes all of us, especially the concerns and challenges of the emerging younger female population that are often overlooked. Drs. Day and Bunch have taken the current research and explained it into our language. With this book, you will have step-by-step options and end-of-chapter summaries to guide you.

Debbe McCall, BS, MBA, cardiovascular patient PI, DSMB, researcher, and moderator of the Atrial Fibrillation Support Forum

Also by John D. Day

The Longevity Plan: Seven Life-Transforming Lessons from Ancient China

(with Jane Ann Day and Matthew D. LaPlante)

Also by Matthew D. LaPlante

Superlative: The Biology of Extremes

Lifespan: Why We Ageand Why We Dont Have To

(with David A. Sinclair, PhD)

The Longevity Plan: Seven Life-Transforming Lessons from Ancient China

(with John D. Day, MD, and Jane Ann Day)

This book is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to serve as a substitute for professional medical advice. The author and publisher specifically disclaim any and all liability arising directly or indirectly from the use of any information contained in this book. A health care professional should be consulted regarding your specific medical situation. Any product mentioned in this book does not imply endorsement of that product by the author or publisher.

The AFib Cure copyright 2021 by John Day

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

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First E-Book Edition: February 2021

Library of Congress Control Number: 2020042978

ISBN 9781950665426 (trade paper)

ISBN 9781950665648 (electronic)

Editing by Leah Wilson and Greg Brown

Copyediting by James Fraleigh

Proofreading by Karen Wise and Dylan Julian

Indexing by IndexBusters

Text design and composition by PerfecType, Nashville, TN

Cover design by Ty Nowicki

Printed by Lake Book Manufacturing

Distributed to the trade by Two Rivers Distribution, an Ingram brand

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To our families

T he first time you experience atrial fibrillation is likely to be the scariest moment of your life.

Everything is fine. And then, just like that, its not. All of a sudden your heart is pounding away.

One hundred and forty beats a minute.

Then one hundred and sixty.

Then one hundred and eighty.

Thats two or three times faster than it should be going. Just like that, something youve taken for granted your entire life instantly becomes the only thing that matters. You can feel it throbbing in your neck. You can hear it pounding in your ears. Your chest hurts. You become lightheaded.

If youre standing, you sit down. If youre sitting, you lie down. You think youre dying.

What is going on?

Oh no, Im having a heart attack! you think, and the sound of that thought seems to be screaming in your head.

You reach for the phone. Your hands are shaking, but you manage to call.

911. Whats your emergency?

I... dont know... my heart... its... out of control.

Stay calm, the emergency dispatcher says. Help is on its way.

The dispatcher stays on the line and tries to collect some additional information. Your name. Your address. Your location inside your home. But youre having trouble answering basic questions. Your thoughts turn to your family.

Will I ever see them again?

If youre a praying person, this is when you pray. And sometimes even if youre not a praying person, this is when you pray.

The operator asks if you can make it to the front door. You say that youll try. Everything seems like its happening in slow motion. Everything, that is, except your heart; it seems like its beating even