A meta-analysis of 14 studies has led researchers to believe that even moderate alcohol consumption can contribute to atrial fibrillation, or irregular heart beat.

Dabigatran, a newly approved drug, may provide an anti-blood clotting alternative to warfarin for patients with atrial fibrillation, according to updated guidelines.

In many cases of cryptogenic stroke, or stroke of undetermined cause -- which accounts for about 25 percent of all strokes -- physicians believe undiagnosed atrial fibrillation (abnormal heart beat) may be to blame.

Heart disease costs are predicted to triple in the next 20 years in the U.S., according to predictions from the American Heart Association (AHA).

Costs associated with treating heart disease and heart conditions increased more than 200 percent in Canada from 1996 to 2006, and are expected to triple in the U.S. by 2030.

A diagnosis of atrial fibrillation in first-degree relatives is tied to higher atrial fibrillation risk.