Mayo Clinic electrophysiologist Paul A. Friedman, M.D., and neurologist James P. Klaas, M.D., discuss stroke rates in atrial fibrillation with and without anticoagulation with Gayatri A. Acharya, M.D.

The risk scoring system most commonly used to determine which patients have a high enough stroke risk to warrant treatment is the CHA₂DS₂-VASc score, which rates risk based on congestive heart failure, high blood pressure, age, diabetes, previous stroke or clot, vascular disease, age and sex.

Approximately 20 percent of stokes are cardioembolic. Drs. Friedman and Klaas also discuss the other etiologies for stroke and the management of stroke risk.

This video first appeared on theheart.org | Medscape Cardiology.

Video content outline:

• Introduction
• Assessing stroke risk in atrial fibrillation (0:26)
• The CHADS-VASc score of 1 dilemma (2:09)
• Other risk factors for stroke in people with atrial fibrillation (6:22)
• When not to anticoagulate (8:12)
• Cerebral amyloid angiopathy risk in atrial fibrillation (9:48)
• Nonmedical means of preventing stroke (13:12)
• Conclusion (16:15)