Reiffel - Atrial Fibrillation and Stroke: Epidemiology - Figure 6

AFib and Stroke

The statistics are stark: AFib increases the risk of ischemic stroke 5-fold in some series; it accounts for ≥15% of all strokes, 36% of strokes for individuals aged >80, and in up to 20% of cryptogenic strokes [9] [2] [10] [11] [12] More important, strokes in patients with AFib tend to be larger, more disabling, more likely to recur or be fatal, and more likely to prolong hospitalization; these patients may also present dementia. In addition, strokes in patients with AFib result in greater healthcare costs compared to strokes in patients without AFib. Most important, there are >100,000 embolic strokes per year as a result of AFib, with over 20,000 deaths – and these outcomes should be preventable with effective use of anticoagulation.

Reiffel JA. Am J Med 2013; 126: 00-00.

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References

[9] Fuster V, Rydén LE, Cannom DS, et al. 2011 ACCF/AHA/HRS Focused updates incorporated into fthe ACC/AHA/ESC 2006 guidelines for the management of patients with atrial fibrillation: A report of the American College of Cardiology Foundation/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines Developed in partnership with the European Society of Cardiology and in collaboration with the European Heart Rhythm Association and the Heart Rhythm Society. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2011;57:e101-e198.

[2] Miyasaka Y, Barnes ME, Gersh BJ, et al. Secular trends in incidence of atrial fibrillation in Olmsted County, Minnesota, 1980 to 2000, and implications on the projections for future prevalence. Circulation. 2006;114:119-125.

[10] Roger VL, Go AS, Lloyd-Jones DM, et al; American Heart Association Statistics Committee and Stroke Statistics Subcommittee. Heart disease and stroke statistics--2011 update: a report from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2011;123:e18-e209.

[11] Lin H-J, Wolf PA, Kelly-Hayes M, et al. Stroke severity in atrial fibrillation. The Framingham Study. Stroke. 1996;27:1760-1764.

[12] Miller PS, Andersson FL, Kalra L. Are cost benefits of anticoagulation for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation underestimated? Stroke. 2005;36:360-366.