Arrhythmias & electrophysiologyCohort study
Atrial fibrillation density as a biomarker for ischaemic stroke risk prediction
- Retrospective cohort study
- two US cohorts
- random-effects meta-analysis of cohorts
- G-formula modelling
Authors' conclusion
Atrial fibrillation density demonstrated robust dose-response relationships with ischaemic stroke independent of AF burden and enhanced risk stratification
Study context
- Population
- Patients with remotely monitored cardiac implantable electronic devices (Veterans Health Administration and University of North Carolina, January 2010-May 2025), excluding permanent atrial fibrillation (AF) or no episodes ≥6 minof 41,780 screened
- Participants
- 12,868 patients
- Exposure
- AF density categories
- Outcome
- Ischaemic stroke
- Follow-up
- 1 year
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
1-year ischaemic stroke risk by Atrial fibrillation density
Relative risk
1.75
95% CI 1.25–2.44
Atrial fibrillation density
RR 1.75 (95% CI 1.25–2.44)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Ischaemic stroke incidence (whole cohort) · median 4.0-year follow-up
- Patients with ischaemic stroke
- 336
- Rate
- 6.3 per 1000 person-years
Stroke risk by AF density within AF burden levels
- At each level of AF burden, high density had greater stroke risk
Original publication
Atrial fibrillation density as a biomarker for ischaemic stroke risk prediction. Eur Heart J. Published 28 March 2026. doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehag203
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it