Key result
AF linked to ~5-fold higher ischemic stroke risk, requiring OACs and LAAO for secondary prevention.
Why the study?
AF and AF-related stroke impose a growing burden with challenging clinical management, requiring an update on recent advances and ongoing knowledge gaps.
This review highlights the significant burden of atrial fibrillation and AF-related stroke, emphasizing the need for complex decision-making in treatment and prevention strategies.
Emphasizes complex AF stroke prevention decisions now; leaves open optimal integration of anticoagulants with LAAO amid rising prevalence.
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia encountered in clinical practice. AF is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, heart failure, stroke, cognitive impairment and dementia, and mortality. Individuals with AF have a 5-fold risk of ischemic stroke, and AF-related strokes are associated with greater disability and mortality compared with strokes from other causes. Moreover, the burden of AF and AF-related stroke on patients, their caregivers, health-care systems, and society is significant and projected to increase in the coming decades due to the rapid growth of the ageing population. The care and management of patients with AF and AF-related stroke are challenging, often involving complex decision-making to weigh the risks and benefits of various treatment and prevention strategies. This topical review focuses on the latest science and advances in AF and AF-related stroke and identifies knowledge gaps and future directions of continued research.
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Sur et al. (2022) conducted a review in Atrial fibrillation and stroke. Atrial fibrillation increases the risk of ischemic stroke by 5-fold, necessitating complex management strategies involving oral anticoagulants and left atrial appendage occlusion for secondary prevention.
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