Question

Why stroke is more common than pulmonary embolism in patients with atrial fibrillation?

Why stroke is more common than pulmonary embolism in patients with atrial fibrillation?

Answer 1

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia, affecting >33 million individuals worldwide, and both the incidence and prevalence of AF are increasing.The apparent association between AF and PE may be attributable to shared risk factors, induced by factors related to AF itself (eg, intracardiac thrombi), or mediated by stroke or stroke‐related complications secondary to AF. The brain needs blood and oxygen. When that doesn’t happen and that crucial nourishment can’t reach the brain — either because of a clogged artery or a burst vessel — brain cells start to die.High blood pressure is generally considered the most common controllable risk factor for stroke, but atrial fibrillation is the most powerful.  Evidence infers that the apparent risk of PE by AF could be explained by intermediate development of IS(Ischemic Stroke). Clinical and observational studies, including this study, have shown that AF is associated with risk of IS and that patients with IS are at a high risk for venous thrombosis