There are a couple of other classes of medicines used early on as well. One type slows down the chaos, while the other type helps control rhythm, said Crandall. Over time, though, the medicines tend to lost their effectiveness and doctor and patient must do something else.

Saturday: The next steps

Questions taken either by phone or via e-mail

Atrial fibrillation is the topic of Saturday's Deseret News/Intermountain Healthcare Hotline. From 10 a.m. to noon, Dr. Brian Crandall and Dr. John Day, both interventional cardiologists at Intermountain Medical Center, will answer questions about the heart rhythm disorder. From the Salt Lake area, call 236-6061. Elsewhere, the toll-free number is 1-800-925-8177, only operational during hotline hours.

This month, you can also e-mail questions to Hotline@desnews.com. Get them in by 5 p.m. Saturday. A sampling of questions and the answers will be posted online next Friday.

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E-mail: lois@desnews.com