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
FAQs A-Fib Drug Therapy: Chance of Stroke
“What are my chances of getting an A-Fib stroke?”
A-Fib causes about 15% of strokes. Left untreated, A-Fib is associated with an approximately fivefold increased risk of ischemic stroke (when a blood clot blocks or narrows an artery that supplies blood to the brain).
While simply having A-Fib raises your chances of getting a stroke, there are several other things that when combined with A-Fib can make strokes even more likely.
Age: Age 65 and over, with increased risk for age 75 and over. Studies say that atrial fibrillation is the direct cause of 1 in 4 strokes in people older than 80 years old.
Gender: Women with A-Fib have nearly a 20–50% higher chance of a stroke than men (though there is some controversy about this).
Hypertension, Diabetes: People with A-Fib and high blood pressure or diabetes are most at risk of a stroke.
Other factors include having a previous stroke including a “mini-stroke” or transient ischemic attack (TIA) and other heart conditions.
CHA2 DS2–VASc Risk Assessment Tool
One simple, well-validated, points-based risk assessment tool is known by the acronym CHADS2 or CHA2 DS2–VASc. It’s widely used to assess individual patient risk for stroke. To read more see our article, The CHADS2 Stroke-Risk Grading System.
Return to FAQ Drug Therapies
Last updated: Wednesday, September 2, 2026
