Moving from the "Check the Pulse" Era To "Check the ECG" in the Prevention of Thromboembolic Events in Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation (AF) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) share common risk factors and often co-exist: 20% of patients with CKD have symptomatic AF, whereas around 50% of patients with AF will have some degree of renal impairment. Patients with both conditions have a five-fold increased risk of stroke, three-fold increased risk of congestive heart failure, higher cardiovascular morbidity, and all-cause mortality compared with patients who only have either AF or CKD. The incidence rates of AF in a large nationwide [...]