In atrial flutter, your heart's upper chambers (atria) beat too quickly. This causes the heart to beat in a fast, regular rhythm.

Atrial flutter is a type of heart rhythm disorder (arrhythmia) caused by problems in your heart's electrical system.

Atrial flutter is similar to atrial fibrillation, a common heart rhythm disorder. However, the rhythm in your atria is more organized and less chaotic in atrial flutter than are the abnormal patterns common with atrial fibrillation. Sometimes you may have periods of both atrial flutter and atrial fibrillation.

Although people with atrial flutter may not experience symptoms, the disorder can cause stroke, heart failure and other complications. There are effective treatments for atrial flutter, including scarring small areas of heart tissue (ablation) or medication.