Occurrence and characteristics of stroke events in the Atrial Fibrillation Follow-up Investigation of Sinus Rhythm Management (AFFIRM) study.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a risk factor for stroke, especially when accompanied by other high-risk cardiovascular predictors. The Atrial Fibrillation Follow-up Investigation of Rhythm Management (AFFIRM) Study was a multicenter comparison of high-risk patients with AF who were randomized to either a sinus rhythm control or a rate control strategy.

Methods: Physicians were encouraged to continue anticoagulation therapy for their patients.

Analysis of cause-specific mortality in the Atrial Fibrillation Follow-up Investigation of Rhythm Management (AFFIRM) study.

Background: Expectations that reestablishing and maintaining sinus rhythm in patients with atrial fibrillation might improve survival were disproved in the Atrial Fibrillation Follow-up Investigation of Rhythm Management (AFFIRM) study. This report describes the cause-specific modes of death in the AFFIRM treatment groups.

Methods And Results: All deaths in patients enrolled in AFFIRM underwent blinded review by the AFFIRM Events Committee, and a mode of death was assigned.

Lessons from the Stroke Prevention in Atrial Fibrillation trials.

Atrial fibrillation predisposes to left atrial thrombus formation and carries a sixfold increased risk for stroke. Antithrombotic therapies are the mainstay for stroke prevention. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke-sponsored Stroke Prevention in Atrial Fibrillation (SPAF) studies assessed the value of warfarin, aspirin, and their combination for preventing stroke in six multicenter trials involving 3950 participants.