A recent study stated that irregular heartbeats identified prior to a stroke are not the same as a trial fibrillation, which is diagnosed after a stroke. The findings were released in the Lancet Neurology. Professor Luciano Sposato of Western University suggests that atrial fibrillation that is discovered after a stroke has certain features.
Compared to atrial fibrillation, which was identified before the stroke, it has a reduced prevalence of risk factors, cardiovascular comorbidities, and abnormalities connected to the heart's upper chambers. This may account for its correlation with a lower risk of subsequent ischemic stroke caused by an occlusion of an artery.
Sposato said, "The differences in the nature and effects of atrial fibrillation detected after a stroke compared to those known before are significant. The article proposes a new classification of heart rhythm and research standards to guide future research in the field, ensuring a more targeted and effective approach to secondary stroke prevention."
When atrial fibrillation occurs in stroke patients, it usually occurs in brief bursts and is only noticeable when the heart is being continually monitored. To better evaluate patient risk and develop treatment choices, it is essential to strike a balance between other risk variables and the total duration of each of those atrial fibrillation bursts.
One of the study's main conclusions is that patients diagnosed with atrial fibrillation post-stroke generally have fewer associated health conditions and a 26 per cent lower likelihood of experiencing another stroke than those with known atrial fibrillation.
