Atrial flutter cannot always be prevented. Effective treatment of underlying disorders, such as high blood pressure, can lower a person's risk for atrial flutter. Once atrial flutter has been diagnosed, there are medicines that can reduce the episodes of atrial flutter. Atrial flutter can also be prevented by a surgical procedure that gets rid of the short circuit.
Atrial flutter affects the way the heart pumps blood. It increases a person's risk for:
Atrial flutter is not contagious and poses no risk to others.