WORLD HEART RHYTHM WEEK 7th June - 13th June 2021

[TracyAdmin]

Did you know? 🤔

If you have AF then you are 5 times more likely to have a stroke.

I’m supporting @AtrialFibrillation and @ArrhythmiaAlliance by raising awareness of arrhythmias during World Heart Rhythm Week. 🌎 💚

#ListenToYourHeart #WHRW2021

[mjm1971]

Im new to AF diagnosed 2 weeks ago , this headline is the one stat thatscares me to death , im only 50 but this stat cant be based on all AF sufferers , surely your only 5 times more likely with other risk factors . Stats can be used in so many ways but surely there are more facts to this 1 liner to stop the fear factor or at least put it into context

[Jans5 in reply to mjm1971]

I found this statement scary when I was first diagnosed and, at risk of being banned from this site, I think it's also a very irresponsible statement and a scare tactic by institutions sponsored by drug companies to frighten people into taking more anticoagulants before its necessary. Think about it's 5 times your individual stroke risk, so if your stroke risk is 0.5 then 5 times that is 2.5 obviously if your stroke risk is 5 then your stroke risk is 25 and so on. There is a question also whether lone afib, that is you have no other health issues, as to whether your risk increases at all. If you want to lower your stroke risk lower the first figure by lifestyle changes and only take anticoagulants when the risk of ischaemic stroke outways the increased risk of haemorrhagic stroke from taking them. Please also can people stop using these kind of attention grabbing but lacking context headlines on a site new sufferers come to in an extremely worrying time no matter how well intentioned. There are stroke risk calculators that will give you more information about when you need to think about anticoagulants. Try not to worry too much and I hope this helps