Atrial Fibrillation & Friedreich's Ataxia

Atrial Fibrillation is a form of arrhythmia(rapid/irregular heart beat) which can sometimes accompany Friedreich's Ataxia. Atrial fibrillation (usually referred to as A-Fib) is a rapid, irregular, and incomplete "fluttering" of the atria (the two, smaller, upper chambers of the heart).

One of the key issues with A-Fib is: the atrial contractions are incomplete meaning the atria do not fully contract to the point where blood is being pumped - this is what leads to the sudden drop in blood pressure, chills, and a pale complexion. Basically, the atria are in spasm and just quivering without completely contracting - and this is why blood thinners are usually given to people who are prone to A-Fib - it is just a precaution due to the risk of blood clots developing in the atria while the blood is pooling there. I was given coumadin for this but I have determined that the negatives outweigh the positives so I stopped taking it. I prefer natural blood thinners like Ginkgo Biloba, Hawthorn, natural Vitamin E (d-alpha tocopherol is natural - dl-alpha is chemically manufactured), Co-Enzyme Q10, and Omega 3 fatty acids like Krill Oil or Fish Oil.

Some natural A-Fib preventatives include:

1. Co Q10

2. Omega 3 EFAs

3. Magnesium

4. Hawthorn

5. Water - A-Fib can be caused by dehydration

6. Meditation - A-fib can be caused by mental and emotional stress

Yours in Natural Health,

Vin D'Errico

Gene Expression, Antioxidants, & Friedreich's Ataxia

Many people are under the impression that if they are born with a particular defective gene for a particular disease, like Friedreich's Ataxia or cancer, they will develop this condition sometime in their life.

This is simply not true!

Although one may have a defective gene which can make that person vulnerable to specific diseases, these genes must be activated by free radicals before they can be expressed. Everyone is born with these `bad genes`, but not everyone develops diseases because not everyone adopts a lifestyle which exposes them to high levels of free radicals and low levels of antioxidants which have the ability to deactivate these genes.