RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
A1 Vinall, Maria
T1 Atrial Fibrillation: A Comprehensive Look in 2008
JF MD Conference Express
YR 2009
FD SAGE Publications
VO 8
IS 8
SP 25
OP 26
DO 10.1177/155989770900800815
UL http://mdc.sagepub.com/content/8/8/25.abstract
AB 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].