Atrial fibrillation and its influence on stroke risk

Abstract

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia in the clinical setting. AF increases both the risk and severity of stroke, and is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. Decisions regarding appropriate stroke prevention in AF patients are crucial and require individual assessment of both thromboembolic and bleeding risk. This review will pro- vide an overview of recommended risk assessment tools and discuss other possible risk factors which could improve risk stratification in AF patients.