Those of us who specialize in atrial fibrillation (AF) understand its enormous impact on a growing segment of our population, in terms of both quality of life and long-term survival. More than five million Americans have AF and the disease causes more than 66,000 deaths a year, and those numbers are rising. According to research from The Advisory Board Cardiovascular Roundtable, the number of AF catheter cases in the U.S. will increase almost 100% between 2007 and 2012.

We all want to help people afflicted with AF, but there’s one problem with the disease that we can’t fix in our labs -- the vast majority of the general public that has never heard of atrial fibrillation. As we know, such ignorance can be hazardous to their health. About 30% of people with AF have no symptoms, and often the first sign of the disease is a stroke. (People with AF are 2-7 times more likely to suffer a stroke than the general population.)

Because September is Atrial Fibrillation Awareness Month, it is a good time for the electrophysiology community (including affiliated hospitals, medical centers and research organizations) to do our part in educating the public. For example, the University of Utah’s Comprehensive Arrhythmia Research and Management Center (CARMA) is offering four free screenings this month for residents in both the Salt Lake and Utah Valleys to test for AF.

Following one of these screenings, several of my patients and I will speak at a free community event intended to increase AF awareness. Additionally, in October, the CARMA Center will host its first annual Atrial Fibrillation 5K.

You can help to spread the word. Start by asking your hospital’s PR person for ideas, including how to publicize Atrial Fibrillation Awareness Month. You could work with your hospital or department to develop AF educational materials for clinics and physicians’ offices. You also could write an article for your hospital’s newsletter, magazine and/or web site.

A good resource for AF content written for the general public, the organization StopAfib.org offers this useful guide.

Nassir F. Marrouche, MD is the Executive Director of the Comprehensive Arrhythmia Research & Management Center, Director of Electrophysiology Laboratories, and Director of the Atrial Fibrillation Program at the University of Utah School of Medicine, Division of Cardiology.