Epidemiology: Atrial Fibrillation, Stroke, and Anticoagulation

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia worldwide and is a leading cause of morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs. From 1990 to 2019, the worldwide prevalence of atrial fibrillation/atrial flutter has risen from 19.1 million to 59.7 million people. In the United States, the lifetime risk of developing atrial fibrillation after the age of 40 has been estimated to be 1 in 3 to 1 in 5, and it is projected that 16 million Americans will suffer from AF by 2050. Anticoagulation is remarkably underutilized despite its importance in the prevention of stroke. Future directions in the treatment of AF include novel anticoagulation strategies, refining patient treatment options, and clarifying the mechanism of stroke in AF.