Atrial Fibrillation

1) Atrial fibrillation is characterized by chaotic electrical signals in the heart that cause the upper chambers (atria) to quiver. It is the most common type of sustained irregular heart rhythm, and while it is not usually life threatening on its own, it can have deadly complications. Atrial fibrillation can disturb smooth blood flow, increasing the risk of clots that can cause organ damage or stroke. The heart’s ability to pump blood can also deteriorate, leading to heart failure. The most common causes of atrial fibrillation are heart abnormalities and heart muscle damage, but in at least 10 percent of cases there is no underlying heart disease that explains the condition.
Most causes for Atrial Fibrillation are: hypertension (high blood pressure),Coronary artery disease, Heart valve disease, After heart surgery, Chronic lung disease, Heart failure, and Pulmonary embolism.

In at least ten percent of the cases, no underlying heart disease is found. In these cases, AF may be related to alcohol or excessive caffeine use, stress, certain drugs, electrolyte or metabolic imbalances, or severe infections. In some cases, no cause can be found. The risk of AF increases with age, particularly after age 60.

2) I think that one benefit to personal genetic testing is that it may be able to prevent disease by giving people a warning about what they are at risk for so that they may take the appropriate measures to maybe prevent acquiring the disease that they are at risk for. One concern is that if someone were to find out that they were at risk for some disease, they would suffer from severe depression after wards and would not be able to enjoy life, because they would always be worried about and thinking about this disease that they are at risk for.

3) If I had the opportunity, to undergo personal genetic testing, I don't think that I would do it, because I'd rather not know what I am at risk for because it will just stress me out even though I may never even get the disease. I would rather just try to live a healthy life and try my best to stay healthy and protect myself from any diseases this way.