Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation affects about 1 in 25 people aged 60 and older, and 1 in 10 people aged 80 and older.

Go AS, Hylek EM, Phillips KA, Chang Y, Henault LE, Selby JV, Singer DE. Prevalence of diagnosed atrial fibrillation in adults. National implications for rhythm management and stroke prevention: the Anticoagulation and Risk Factors In Atrial Fibrillation (ATRIA) Study. JAMA 2002;285:2370-2375

15 to 20% of all strokes, about 75,000 a year, are attributable to atrial fibrillation.

Hart RG, Pearce LA, Rothbart RM, McAnulty JH, Asinger RW, Halperin JL. Stroke with intermittent atrial fibrillation: incidence and predictors during aspirin therapy. Stroke Prevention in Atrial Fibrillation Investigators. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2000;35:183-187

People over the age of 40 have a 1 in 4 chance of developing atrial fibrillation.

Lloyd-Jones DM, Wang TJ, Leip E, et al. Lifetime risk for development of atrial fibrillation. Circulation. 2004;110:1042-1046

The presence of atrial fibrillation is independently associated with a 50 to 90% increase in risk of death.

Benjamin EJ, Wolf PA, D'Agostino RB, Silbershatz H, Kannel WB, Levy D. Impact of atrial fibrillation on the risk of death: the Framingham Heart Study. Circulation. 1998;98:946-952