Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a known risk factor for ischemic stroke. The prevalence of AF among patients with stroke varies between 17% and 46%. Thus, this study examined the prevalence of AF among Saudi patients who had a stroke and presented to King Fahd Hospital of the University (KFHU) and evaluated AF-related factors.
Methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted through the electronic medical charts of all Saudi adult patients of both sexes who presented to KFHU with ischemic stroke between January 2017 and July 2020. Patients diagnosed with AF were included in the study.
Results: Of the 391 patients who had a stroke, 275 were adult Saudis. Thirty-seven patients (13.45%) were diagnosed with AF. AF was evident on ECG in 29 patients and on Holter monitoring in 5 patients. Women showed a higher prevalence of AF (8%) than men (5.45%). Older age, congestive heart failure, valvular heart disease, left ventricular, and left atrial dilatation were significantly associated with AF. Among AF patients, anterior circulation strokes were more common than posterior circulation strokes (17.3% and 8.3%, respectively).
Conclusion: The prevalence of AF among patients who had an ischemic stroke was lower than that in international publications. A nationwide prospective multicenter study is warranted to obtain more representative results.
Key words: Ischemic stroke, atrial fibrillation, Saudis, ECG, Holter monitor.
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