I have both, asbestosis and atrial fibrillation. Really curious as A-fib started after the diagnosis of asbestosis due to exposure 40+ years earlier.
Q: Is there any relation at all regarding asbestosis contributing to atrial fibrillation?
Answers (1)
4/22/10 8:36pm
Hi G.A. Roberts,
Asbestos exposure is linked to mesothelioma, of which there are 4 kinds...pleural (lungs), peritoneal (peritoneal cavity or the cavity that your intestines, liver, pancreas, etc. sit in), testicular, and pericardial (heart). The symptoms of pericardial mesothelioma mimic other heart conditions including different arrhythmias. Pericardial mesothelioma is extremely rare. I am not saying this all to scare you, but this is the only connection between asbestos and heart arrhythmias that I am aware of. If you are concerned that there is a connection between the 2, I encourage you to ask your physician about it. As I mentioned above, it is extremely rare, so chances are you just happen to have A. Fib and asbestosis and they are hopefully unrelated.
Best of luck,
Monica M. Skidmore, MS, RD
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By G.A.Roberts— Last Modified: 12/26/10, First Published: 04/22/10
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