Hands up if you knew that individuals with AF are five times more likely to have a stroke ✋
This statistic is alarming, but with the right management, you can significantly reduce your stroke risk. Collaborating with your medical team is essential, and if you are looking for additional support and resources that simplify medical jargon, the AF Association is here to help.
Explore our website to access all our resources for free: heartrhythmalliance.org/afa...
#WorldStrokeDay
Yeah . I try NOT to think about it as it freaks me out . Saw Mum die of AF stroke right in front of me,and stood my her mum,my Nanna as she did the same. I was diagnosed,by pure chance although I'd had racing heart ( I thought just stress, looking after 4 old people, plus stressful job,plus son having nervous breakdown at 20.
It took a whopping great Norovirus episode where I was totally out if it,hit my head in bathroom, paramedics called. Saw AF straightaway. Just beta blocker given
BUT it still took a year to get on A/C. My GP then ( since " retired " ...hmm( said oh we don't AC people here until they are Chadsvc 3"
I was at least 2.
Which I rebuked him on 6 months later when I had my TIA away from home and they insisted on it to be continued at home ,thank whatever God 😒
Yes, Wilson l know how scary a stroke can be. My grandfather had one and l watched my father die of one. When you have witnessed it first hand you realise how devasting it can be. I have also had lots of stress in my life with my daughter having a nervous breakdown too. I knew something was wrong long before l was diagnosed. I am always grateful to the paramedic who diagnosed me and even more grateful for the stroke prevention treatment of an anticoagulant. AF is not something to be messed with. It is not a case of having a “low burden”. AF is AF and causes blood clots. The thing that is so important is that AF can be silent and it can happen when you are asleep. It can rear its ugly head even after months/years of being non-existent. Why play russian roulette with your life? Like you, l can say “Thank God.”
Thank you for sharing your personal experiences with us all. If you need any support our Patient Services Team are here to help.
Kind regards
TracyAdmin
'Five times more likely' is that based on recent substantive research?
Unfortunately, having AF significantly increases your risks of experiencing an AF-related stroke, this can vary on an individuals basis, but if left undetected or untreated the risk factor can range 3-5 times higher with AF.
During AF, the heart chamber (the atria) is 'fibrillating' causing an erratic heart rhythm and blood is not pumping efficiently around the body, therefore the blood can become 'sticky' and blood clots can form within the heart. These can potentially leave the heart and travel through the body to the brain.
Therefore it is vital that early diagnosis is essential to ensure the appropriate treatment is prescribed, such as anticoagulation therapy.
Please visit: afa-international.org for further details.
Kind regards
TracyAdmin
Yes I did, and the community choir of which I am a member, did a fund raiser at the local church. I had an A/F induced stroke in 2000.
"Hands up if you knew that individuals with AF are five times more likely to have a stroke"
I don't believe that is the case.
It might be that we are up to 5 times more likely to have a stroke but merely having AF is only one factor contributing to your risk. That's why the CHA₂DS₂-VASc score is used i.e. the level of increased risk varies according to your personal circumstances even though we all have AF.
We're all at increased risk of stroke because we have AF but we're all different and our level of increased risk differs accordingly.
Yes, l agree that there are different risk factors for each individual, but the risk is always there. Until there is an absolute cure for AF that risk cannot be taken away, however small. I think sticking with the facts here is more important than looking at the statistics. I get the inclination, with respect, that some are leaning towards self-denial and because they have a low burden are blinded to the seriousness of the risk of stroke. Healthy lifestyle is paramount along with an anticoagulant and probably helps reduce the risk, but there are some of us with comorbidities that could possibly counteract this.
I think you have misunderstood what I have said. There's an increased risk of stroke if you have AF. However to say everyone who has AF is 5 times as likely to have a stroke is incorrect. Some will probably be more likely and others less likely. That might be why most websites i have read quoting stroke risk for people with AF quote an increase of 3 to 5 times.I'm not in denial. I'm not on AC but that's only because my CHA₂DS₂-VASc score is 0. I expect to go on AC when I turn 65 after discussing with my cardiologist. My mother has AF and has had a stroke, her brother had a stroke and probably had AF and her father died of a stroke.
The message medical authorities should be spreading is that the level of risk varies from individual to individual but AF meaningfully increases your risk of stroke and you need to act to minimise that risk, including in most cases, taking AC.
l did understand that you are aware of the importance of AF and your thoughts are of the importance of an anticoagulant. There has been a lot of discussion on here of late, which has quite honestly disturbed me, where some have been told that their light burden of AF doesn’t warrant an anticoagulant. I wasn’t referring to you personally, so sorry. Do we really know who is likely or not to have a stroke, or what the odds are? It’s like predicting who will win the lottery. The main thing is that we are given a strong warning and better to have the worst scenario, so that we don’t become blase’ about stroke prevention. Research has such a long way to go and to me there are a lot of fictitious theories without any confirmation or evidence. This is my opinion on all of this. Take care.
If i assumed worst case stroke risk from AF then I would be taking AC, even though doing so is more likely to kill me (brain bleed) than save me (noting low risk of either in my case).
I’ve always understood it to mean that you have 5 times the risk of someone your age & with a similar health profile but who does not have AF. Age is by far the biggest risk factor for stroke as whether you have AF or not it’s said your risk doubles every decade after 50. Basically someone in their 40s with AF but with no other risk factors & not an an anticoagulant is still going to have a lower risk of stroke than someone in their 80s who does not have AF or indeed someone in their 80s with AF who takes an anticoagulant.
For starters, most websites I've seen quote 3 to 5 times risk. I presume that's because the studies undertaken have a range of results. In addition we're all different including our AF burden, which is given zero consideration in the statement. 2 people, same age and sex and same co-morbidities, one has persistent AF, the other has one episode a year lasting hours. Do they both have 5 times the stroke risk of a similar person who doesn't have AF? I strongly suspect not! The REACT-AF trial is currently being undertaken because of similar thinking. It is trialling use of AC as PIP in response to AF episodes exceeding threshold times and stopping AC after 30 days unless/until participant has another event exceeding threshold time. This is clearly predicated on the assumption that stroke risk (primarily) relates to AF events rather than just whether you have AF or not.
I think the 3 to 5 times increase risk came from the Framingham heart study done years ago. Lone atrial fibrillation was considered a lower risk than AF with co-morbidities. Of course now they’ve got the chads2vasc to measure co-morbidities they often just quote the 5x risk. The React trial will be interesting but I’m sceptical as this is something they’ve been looking at for years. Indeed the big hope of ablation was that restoring sinus rhythm would get people off ACs but when they trialled it, it wasn’t the result they’d hoped for. Also evidence from stroke patients with implantable loop recorders showing no AF within 6 months of a stroke as well as drug trial showing no difference in event rates between permanent & paroxysmal. Obvs hope it works & perhaps for those who really have barely any AF it may well. Guess we’ll see.
"evidence from stroke patients with implantable loop recorders showing no AF within 6 months of a stroke"So how do they know these strokes were related to having AF rather than to any of the numerous other causes of stroke?
Well you might have a point because apparently whilst 15% of strokes can definitely be linked to AF, 20% are cryptogenic & whilst they may suspect AF as a cause of some they’re often unable to prove it. Tbh the loop recorder thing was on a video by York Cardiology called ‘AF & Strokes - who is the real Daddy?’ Think he was talking about the ASSERT trial but it’s been a while since I’ve watched it so I might be misquoting. As I said on a previous thread, there’s so much uncertainty around AF. I’m only 50 but have had it for 17 years. Too much exercise & alcohol in my youth. Still not on anticoagulants but doubt that will go on for too much longer.
Given your circumstances, you might consider the following from a paper earlier this year titled "Atrial fibrillation and stroke: State-of-the-art and future directions":"while clinically apparent AF in young and otherwise healthy individuals with CHA2DS2-VASc score of 0 does not seem to pose a clinically important increase in stroke risk"
This also supports what I was saying..... it's too simplistic to say that because we have AF we all have a 5 fold increase in stroke risk.
Hi Emily. I had 40 years of running, cycling, gym, Spin, yoga under my belt when I had an ischaemic stroke. My EP said that my fast heart rate was due to being very cardio fit and I didn't need an anticoagulant. Eighteen months later, I had a stroke. I also have scarred lungs due to amiodarone and dronedarone that was prescribed as heart rate control.
Thank you for sharing your personal experiences with the Forum. AF varies on an individual basis, and should be subjected to regular checks on the CHADVASC as these will change over time, taking into account your age, other health conditions and general wear and tear on the heart. I am sorry to learn you experienced a stroke, if you would like any support, our Patient Services Team are here to help: heartrhythmalliance.org/afa...
Kind regards
TracyAdmin
hi Emily this might sound like a silly question but is that statistic based on some one in permanent or persistent AF or does it also include those that have paroxysmal AF which in some cases happens only once a year?
Your individual risk factor will depend on the type of AF you have, history of AF or cardiac conditions within your family, your general health and any other underlying health conditions. It is important your doctor checks your CHADVASC ongoing to determine your risk.
You may find the 'Preventing an AF-Related Stroke' Booklet helpful: api.heartrhythmalliance.org...
Kind regards
TracyAdmin
Some good news about stroke risk
