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©Atrial Fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation is a condition that causes the upper chambers of the heart, the atria, to quiver instead of beating effectively to move blood into the ventricle. This causes blood flow to slow and pool and can increase the risk of clotting.
If a clot breaks lose from the atria and enters the bloodstream, it can lodge in an artery leading to the brain and can cause a stroke.
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About 15 to 20 percent of people who have had a stroke have this heart arrhythmia.
People with atrial fibrillation have an increased stroke risk of about five percent per year.
Treatment for atrial fibrillation includes medications such as Coumadin or warfarin, aspirin and Plavix.
