Managing heart conditions
The link between heart health and stroke
Atrial fibrillation and stroke
Atrial fibrillation, or AFib, is a heart problem many people experience without knowing. It can happen rarely and without symptoms, and it can increase the risk of stroke.
Patients with AFib are 5x more likely to have a stroke.1
AFib-related stroke is twice as likely to be fatal than non-AFib-related stroke.2
Most AFib episodes are asymptomatic, meaning you don’t feel them.3
If you’ve had a stroke, understanding your heart health is important to prevent your risk of having another one.
One in four stroke survivors will experience another stroke within five years.4
Stroke survivors are at high risk of AFib after their stroke.3,5
AFib is treatable, and treating AFib can lower your risk of another stroke.6
An insertable heart monitor can help.
Advanced solutions, such as long-term heart monitoring, are available for continuous monitoring after a cryptogenic stroke, large-vessel stroke, or small-vessel stroke. The automatic detection in the monitor can catch abnormal heart rhythms as they happen and send that information directly to your doctor. Information sent from an implanted heart monitor can help your doctor determine if you have AFib, or other possible underlying conditions.
If you or a loved one have experienced an ischemic stroke (a type of stroke where a blood clot blocks the blood flow to your brain), prepare for the next follow-up visit with your doctor by downloading, printing, and completing a discussion guide. Your answers could help your doctor decide if long-term, implantable heart monitoring may help.
Watch a patient story.
Meet Pam, who found peace of mind after her cryptogenic stroke with an insertable heart monitor.†
† Not every person will receive the same results. Talk to your doctor about your treatment options.
1. Preventing another stroke. American Stroke Association. Accessed May 23, 2024.
2. Lin HJ, Wolf PA, Kelly-Hayes M, et al. Stroke severity in atrial fibrillation. The Framingham Study. Stroke. 1996;27(10):1760–1764. doi: 10.1161/01.str.27.10.1760.
3. Sanna T, Diener H-C, Passman RS, et al. Cryptogenic stroke and underlying atrial fibrillation. N Engl J Med. 2014;370(26):2478–2486. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1313600.
4. Mohan KM, Wolfe CD, Rudd AG, et al. Risk and cumulative risk of stroke recurrence: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Stroke. 2011;42(5):1489–1494. doi: 10.1161/STROKEAHA.110.602615.
5. Bernstein RA, Kamel H, Granger CB, et al. Effect of long-term continuous cardiac monitoring vs usual care on detection of atrial fibrillation in patients with stroke attributed to large- or small-vessel disease. JAMA. 2021;325(21):2169–2177. doi: 10.1001/jama.2021.6470.
6. Stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation study. Final results. Circulation. 1991;84(2):527–539. doi: 10.1161/01.cir.84.2.527.