Atrial fibrillation and stroke risk

The article is professionally consulted by Master, Doctor Do Nguyen Thuy Doan Trang - Head of Extracorporeal Circulation Team - Cardiovascular Center - Vinmec Central Park International General Hospital.

Stroke is one of the most dangerous and common complications for patients with atrial fibrillation. Using anticoagulants and changing lifestyle habits have been found to be effective in preventing the risk of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation.

Atrial fibrillation, also known as arrhythmia, usually manifests as a fast heartbeat, shortness of breath, and a feeling of being short of breath. Atrial fibrillation, if not diagnosed and treated, can cause symptoms such as congestive heart failure, blood clot formation, and most dangerously, stroke. Treatment of atrial fibrillation is the preventive treatment of complications of cardiac arrhythmias. Atrial fibrillation can be diagnosed and detected through an electrocardiogram.
Atrial fibrillation is the cause of blood pooling in the heart chambers and the formation of blood clots. These blood clots, once formed, will follow the blood stream causing blockages and strokes. The risk of atrial fibrillation increases with age. In addition, the underlying medical factors such as myocardial infarction, heart failure... also make the risk of atrial fibrillation higher. People who regularly consume alcohol such as beer and wine are also at a higher risk of atrial fibrillation.
Atrial fibrillation in some cases often has no obvious symptoms. Therefore, regular check-ups and health checks are the best way to detect and treat diseases early.

The goal in the treatment of atrial fibrillation is to apply interventions to bring the heart rate back to the normal sinus rhythm of the heart. For people with acute atrial fibrillation, the doctor may order medication or electric shock.
People with chronic atrial fibrillation, the treatment process will be more difficult and the possibility of recurrence is relatively high. Most people with chronic atrial fibrillation need medication to control their heart's rhythm.
Treatment options for people with atrial fibrillation are mainly aimed at reducing the risk of stroke occurring through the use of drugs that prevent the formation of blood clots.
Blood clots and strokes are among the dangerous complications of atrial fibrillation. To prevent this, your doctor may have to give you medicines that prevent the formation of blood clots. Commonly used medications include vitamin K antagonists and thrombin inhibitors. These are two drugs that are used to prevent blood clots from forming. Therefore, taking a vitamin K antagonist would act as a strategy to deal with the synthesis of clotting proteins.
Besides, Warfarin is also one of the most appreciated drugs in the prevention of stroke in people with atrial fibrillation. However, patients using warfarin need to be closely monitored through periodic blood tests to control the effects of the drug and have a strategy to adjust the dose of the drug appropriate for each patient.
Several anticoagulants have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), including Pradaxa (dabigatran), Xarelto (rivaroxaban), Eliquis (apixaban), and Savaysa (edoxaban).

In order to prevent atrial fibrillation and stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation, we should actively apply some of the following methods:
Monitoring and periodic health check to detect diseases of the body early. Build and maintain a healthy lifestyle with a scientific diet and appropriate exercise. Avoid using or abusing drugs and stimulants such as tobacco, alcohol, and alcoholic beverages. If you have atrial fibrillation, you may need to take anticoagulants to prevent a stroke. Before using the drug, the patient should carefully study and discuss with the doctor about the appropriate drug and course of treatment as well as comply with the treatment regulations for each drug. For patients with a history of stroke, the risk of re-stroke is often very high. Therefore, patients need to be vigilant and maintain a reasonable lifestyle. People with atrial fibrillation need to periodically check for cardiovascular diseases and assess the risk of stroke for appropriate prevention and treatment. Thus, proactively preventing atrial fibrillation to reduce the risk of stroke is something to pay attention to to protect health as well as limit unnecessary complications.
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