Atrial fibrillation: Higher risk for heart failure than stroke

Doctors often put patients with atrial fibrillation on stroke prevention regimens, but the risk of heart failure is actually higher in these patients. — 123rf

The lifetime risk of atrial fibrillation has increased from one in four to one in three over the past two decades, reported a study from Denmark published in The BMJ medical journal on April 17 (2024).

And among those with the condition, two in five are likely to develop heart failure over their remaining lifetime and one in five encounter a stroke.