Atrial fibrillation is one of the most common causes of ischaemic stroke, especially among the elderly. Cardiogenic stroke accounts for approximately 15-25& of all ischaemic strokes, depending on different studies. About 1/3 of all ischaemic strokes have an unknown cause and it is estimated that paroxysmal atrial fibrillation contributes to cryptogenic ischaemic strokes. De novo atrial fibrillation accounts for even over 20& of ischaemic strokes. The number of patients with atrial fibrillation has probably increased due to the aging of the population and more precise diagnostic procedures. Detection of atrial fibrillation is of great importance because ischaemic stroke due to atrial fibrillation is characterized by a tendency to recurrence, worse prognosis, longer hospitalization and higher mortality. Atrial fibrillation remains undiagnosed in a large percentage of cases. Holter ECG monitoring is most often used for diagnostic purposes. However, the diagnostic process should also include long-term Holter ECG monitoring because atrial fibrillation is detected only in a small percentage of cases when 24-h ECG monitoring is used. Our paper stresses the fact that the diagnosis of atrial fibrillation, particularly de novo, is very important for further therapeutic treatment i.e. the use of anticoagulants i.e. both the antagonists of vitamin K and NOACs.
Keywords: treatment; prevalence; prognosis; risk factors.