title: High prevalence of atrial fibrillation among Greenlanders with ischemic stroke - atrial fibrillation found in more than 30% of cases.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To estimate the prevalence of atrial fibrillation among Greenlanders with ischemic stroke.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Information on atrial fibrillation and vitamin K antagonistic treatment at admittance and at discharge was obtained for Greenlanders admitted to Queen Ingrid's Hospital in Nuuk with an ischemic stroke in 2011 or in 2012 with methods described in details elsewhere.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 139 patients (64 males and 75 females) Greenlanders with an ischemic stroke in 2011 (n=74) or 2012 (n=65), 5.0% (n=7) had known atrial fibrillation prior to stroke compared to 32.4% (n=45) after discharge (p<0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  More than 30% of ischemic stroke patients in this study had atrial fibrillation and only 5% were diagnosed prior to the stroke, suggesting that unknown atrial fibrillation is a substantial risk factor of ischemic stroke among Greenlanders.
authors.affiliation: Queen Ingrid's Health Center, Nuuk, Greenland ; Greenland Center for Health Research, University of Nuuk, Nuuk, Greenland.
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bjorn-Mortensen
authors.forename: Folmer
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lynggaard
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lynge Pedersen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006116:Greenland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014812:Vitamin K / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors
chemical_list: D014812:Vitamin K
keywords: atrial fibrillation; ischemic stroke; risk factor