Key result
Atrial fibrillation prevalence is estimated at 9% in adults aged ≥80 years, accounting for roughly 45% of embolic strokes and driving increased need for long-term oral anticoagulation.
The increasing prevalence of atrial fibrillation in older adults highlights a growing public health burden and the critical need for effective stroke prevention strategies.
T he most common arrhythmia in older adults is atrial fibril- lation, with an estimated prevalence of ≈9% in adults aged ≥80 years and a concomitant increased burden of developing stroke.Additionally, over the past decade, both the incidence and prevalence of atrial fibrillation has markedly increased 1 and, with it, the total number of patients potentially requiring long-term oral anticoagulation therapy for the prevention of stroke and systemic embolism.In 2009, the estimated number of atrial fibrillation diagnoses in the United States was 2 643 000, with equal distribution between men and women and 82% at ages ≥65 years, with that number increasing 10% between 1999 to 2005. 2 The magnitude of the problem is exemplified by the fact that the risk of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation increases with age and accounts for ≈45% of embolic strokes, approximately 100 000 annually in the United States.3 Atrial Fibrillation and Stroke Prevention in Aging PatientsWhat's Good Can be Even Better
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Freedman et al. (2014) conducted an editorial in Atrial Fibrillation. Atrial fibrillation prevalence is estimated at 9% in adults aged ≥80 years, accounting for roughly 45% of embolic strokes and driving increased need for long-term oral anticoagulation.
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