Management of atrial fibrillation: a practical and useful synopsis of last guidelines

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia and a disease of aging, as its prevalence increases in the elderly population, reaching approximately 10% in people aged 80 years and older. More than 66% of nearly 6,000 Italian AF patients included in a dedicated observational study were >75 years of age. AF is a strong independent risk factor for stroke due to thrombus formation in and embolization from the left atrial appendage. AF is associated with a fivefold increase in the risk of stroke, which tends to be more severe with higher mortality and disability than strokes in patients without AF. To reduce the risk of stroke or peripheral embolism, treatment with oral anticoagulants is recommended for most patients with AF.