Doctors & patients are saying about 'A-Fib.com'...
"A-Fib.com is a great web site for patients, that is unequaled by anything else out there."
Dr. Douglas L. Packer, MD, FHRS, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
"Jill and I put you and your work in our prayers every night. What you do to help people through this [A-Fib] process is really incredible."
Jill and Steve Douglas, East Troy, WI
“I really appreciate all the information on your website as it allows me to be a better informed patient and to know what questions to ask my EP.
Faye Spencer, Boise, ID, April 2017
“I think your site has helped a lot of patients.”Dr. Hugh G. Calkins, MD Johns Hopkins,
Baltimore, MD
A-Fib Related Strokes & Answers to Your Top 5 Questions
Several research studies have compared A-Fib patients who have had an ischemic stroke against stroke patients who did not have A-Fib.
A-Fib Strokes By Comparison
A-Fib stroke patients were associated with more widespread deprivation of blood supply to the brain, more extensive growth of dead tissue areas (from failure of blood supply), more rapid and severe deterioration, and higher mortality rate. In addition, outcomes were worse for A-Fib stroke patients with a longer duration of their Atrial Fibrillation.
Why Are A-Fib Stroke More Severe?
A-Fib strokes may be worse because of the larger size of the clots. Most (95%) of A-Fib strokes originate with clots from the Left Atrial Appendage (LAA). Clots that form in the LAA can be quite large and completely block blood vessels in the brain often resulting in death or severe neurologic damage.
A-Fib Related Strokes: Answers to Your Top 5 Questions
Since we started publishing A-Fib.com, we have answered thousands of patient’s questions—perhaps the same questions you may have right now. Here we share answers to your top 5 questions asked about stroke risk and anticoagulation (click the link to read the answer).
1. “What are my chances of getting an A-Fib stroke?“
2. “If a clot causes a stroke, what difference does it make if it comes from A-Fib or other causes? Isn’t the damage the same?“
3. “I have infrequent episodes of A-Fib. Do I have to be on a blood thinner?”
4. “Are there alternatives to taking anticoagulants? “My heart doctor wants me to take Xarelto. I am concerned about the side effects. What else can I do?”
Related question: “Is there a way to get off blood thinners all together? I hate taking an anticoagulant. I know I’m at risk of an A-Fib stroke.”
Options for A-Fib Stroke Prevention: Beyond Drug Therapy
A-Fib patients have several options to prevent A-Fib strokes rather than having to take a Direct Oral Anticoagulant (DOAC) such as Apixaban (Eliquis) or Rivaroxaban (Xarelto).
1. The most obvious one is to become A-Fib free through a catheter ablation. You can’t have an A-Fib stroke if you no longer have A-Fib. To learn more, see Catheter Ablation For Atrial Fibrillation (Pulmonary Vein Ablation/Isolation)
2. Another option is to close off or cut out the Left Atrial Appendage (LAA) where most A-Fib clots originate (strategies include the Watchman and Amulet occlusion devices or AtriClip heart surgery). To learn more, see Left Atrial Appendage Closure (LAAC) for A-Fib: The Watchman Works!
3. A third option is a natural blood thinner. Ask your doctor about your CHA2DS2-VASc score (a stroke risk assessor). If your score is a 1 or 2 (out of 10), ask if you could take a non-prescription approach to a blood thinner such as turmeric, ginger and vitamin E or, especially, the supplement Nattokinase, a powerful fibrinolytic enzyme that helps dissolve fibrin, the tough protein web that binds blood clots together. To learn more, see “Are natural blood thinners as good as prescription blood thinners?”
If you find any errors on this page, email us. Y
Last updated: Monday, September 28, 2026
Return to Frequently Asked Questions
