title: Atrial Fibrillation and Stroke: Increasing Stroke Risk with Intervention.
abstract: This article focuses on the important newly recognized appreciation for the paradoxic increase in stroke and transient ischemic attack as a result of intervention meant to treat atrial fibrillation (AF) with the hope of decreasing stroke risk in the long term. The impact of silent cerebral lesions has recently been identified as a potentially major limitation, and the risks with AF ablation, as well as the present understanding of how risk can be minimized, are explained. This article provides a platform for newer study, changes in the way procedures are done, and possibly vascular-based stroke-reduction strategies.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street Southwest, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
authors.forename: Christopher V
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: DeSimone
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street Southwest, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
authors.forename: Malini
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Madhavan
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, University of Turin, S. Giovanni Battista, Corso Bramante, Turin, Italy.
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ebrille
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street Southwest, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
authors.forename: Alejandro A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Rabinstein
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street Southwest, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
authors.forename: Paul A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Friedman
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street Southwest, Rochester, MN 55905, USA; Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street Southwest, Rochester, MN 55905, USA. Electronic address: asirvatham.samuel@mayo.edu.
authors.forename: Samuel J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Asirvatham
keywords: Ablation; Atrial fibrillation; Catheter; Embolism; Silent cerebral lesions