title: New-Onset Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation Diagnosis in Ischemic Stroke Patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aims of this study are to describe the incidence of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (pAF) in patients with ischemic stroke (IS) or transient ischemic attack (TIA), and to create a risk prediction model, using immediately available clinical data associated with new pAF diagnosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed data from the BASICMAR stroke register, with 5 inclusion criteria: (1) diagnosis of IS/TIA; (2) no history of AF or structural cardiopathy; (3) stroke unit (SU) monitoring after normal electrocardiogram in the emergency room; (4) complete etiologic study; and (5) 3-month follow-up. We investigated clinical predictors of pAF detection; we analyzed newly diagnosed pAF according to 4 cardiac monitoring screening methods and created a pAF-risk prediction model.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The final cohort included 1,240 patients. pAF was diagnosed in 139 patients (11.2%), the majority at the SU (54.7%). Multivariate predictors of new-pAF diagnosis during 3-month follow-up after ischemic event were age 75 years, female gender, history of congestive heart failure, and initial National Institute of Health Stroke Scale 15, with a predicted AF risk of 64%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This risk prediction model can be helpful to estimate the risk of an underlying pAF within 3 months after suffering an IS/TIA, contributing to increased AF detection efforts, thereby starting the correct secondary prevention treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Neurovascular Research Group, IMIM-Hospital del Mar, Universitat Autx00F2;noma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Giralt-Steinhauer
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cuadrado-Godia
authors.forename: Carolina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Soriano-Tárraga
authors.forename: Ángel
authors.initials: Á
authors.lastname: Ois
authors.forename: Jordi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jiménez-Conde
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Campello
authors.forename: Alejandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gómez-González
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Muiño-Acuña
authors.forename: Isaac
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Subirana-Cachinero
authors.forename: Jaume
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Roquer
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D002546:Ischemic Attack, Transient / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications*