Summary

The global impact of stroke is significant both in terms of death (5.5 million annually) and disability (5 million individuals annually) [World Health Organization. The Atlas of Heart Disease and Stroke 2004]. The presence of atrial fibrillation (AF) increases the risk of stroke approximately 5-fold, and increasing age is associated with an increase in risk (1.5% in the 50–59-year age group vs 23.5% in the 80–89-year age group) [Wolf PA et al. Stroke 1991]. Current projections are that by 2020, approximately 9 million individuals in the Unites States alone will be diagnosed with AF [Miyasaka Y et al. Circulation 2006].