London: A heart condition, known as artrial fibrillation, which causes an irregular heart beat is on the increase in the UK.

It is estimated that as many as 2 per cent of the population is affected and many may be unaware of it.

As a result experts at the Royal College of Physicians have produced new doctor guidelines so that sufferers can be detected earlier and treated before complications set in.

The condition is one of the most common to affect the heart but is an indicator of a future stroke. The symptoms may include fainting, shortness of breath and dizziness.

A heart monitor can confirm the condition and patients are treated with a blood-thinning drug such as Warfarin.