| Popis: |
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia in adults, affecting 1–2 % of the general population and over 10 % of individuals over age 80 [1, 2]. With aging of the population, the prevalence of AF and its impact on global healthcare system is projected to increase substantially. The true prevalence of AF may also be underestimated since it may be challenging to detect paroxysmal AF or occult asymptomatic AF. AF is associated with considerable morbidity and mortality, especially being an independent risk factor for stroke, increasing the risk of ischemic stroke by 4–5 fold after adjusting for other risk factors [3]. In fact, AF is detected in up to 19 % of stroke patients over the age of 70 [3]. Furthermore, cardioembolic strokes related to AF are more severe than other types of ischemic stroke and are associated with higher 30-day and 1-year mortality [4, 5]. Annually, 800,000 strokes occur in the U.S., with 1.5 % of these attributed to AF for those under 59 and 23 % of those >80 years of age [3]. Stroke is the third leading cause of death and the number one cause of major morbidity in the U.S. and is estimated to cost the healthcare system ~30 billion dollars annually. |
