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Previous Volume 360:2127-2129 May 14, 2009 Number 20 Next

	Since this article has no abstract, we have provided an extract of the first 100 words of the full text and any section headings.

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Approximately 1% of Americans have atrial fibrillation, and the prevalence of this arrhythmia increases sharply with older age (being approximately 10% among persons 80 years of age or older).¹ Worldwide population trends of increasing life expectancy and increasing prevalence of selected risk factors for atrial fibrillation portend a worsening epidemic. Atrial fibrillation raises the risk of ischemic stroke by a factor of four to five, primarily as a result of cardioembolism of a fibrin-rich thrombus (Figure 1). Given the epidemiologic characteristics of atrial fibrillation and the importance of stroke as a leading cause of death and disability, multiple . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Source Information

From Kaiser Permanente of Northern California, Oakland.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• (2009). Effect of Clopidogrel Added to Aspirin in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation. JWatch Neurology 2009: 1-1 [Full Text]