Atrial flutter can be prevented or the risk of it decreased by reducing the factors that may trigger it. The simplest things to do to prevent it are:

Get regular exercise and be active
Eat a heart healthy diet
Avoid drinking too much alcohol and/or caffeine.
Don't smoke
Maintain a healthy weight

If you have underlying health conditions such as lung disease or diabetes, for example, appropriate treatment of these conditions will help decrease the risk or prevent atrial flutter. The ablation procedure may prevent subsequent occurrences of an abnormal heart rhythm like atrial fibrillation and an atrial rate seen in atrial flutter and restore relatively normal electrical heart health.

What is the prognosis and life expectancy for atrial flutter?
The prognosis and life expectancy for a person with atrial flutter depends on the patient's underlying condition. Those with complicated medical conditions and respond poorly to drugs or procedures have a reduced prognosis. However, patients that undergo successful ablation have an excellent prognosis. Although there is little or no data available on life expectancy with atrial flutter, data from the well-known Framingham heart study suggests that patients with atrial fibrillation, which is closely related to atrial flutter, have a shorter lifespan than normal control individuals although how much shorter is not clear.