Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is a heart rhythm disorder found in about 2.2 million Americans. The likelihood of developing atrial fibrillation increases with age. Three to five percent of people over 65 have atrial fibrillation.
During atrial fibrillation, the heart’s two small upper chambers (the atria) quiver instead of beating effectively. Blood isn’t pumped completely out of them, so it may pool and clot. If a piece of a blood clot in the atria leaves the heart and becomes lodged in an artery in the brain, a stroke results. About 15 percent of strokes occur in people with atrial fibrillation.
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Treating atrial fibrillation is an important way to help prevent stroke. That’s why the American Heart Association recommends aggressive treatment of this heart arrhythmia.