ABSTRACT
The cardiac conditions most commonly associated with AF are rheumatic mitral valve disease, coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, hypertension, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, pericarditis, myocarditis, and congenital heart disease. It also occurs in cardiopulmonary disease such as pulmonary embolism and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Noncardiac causes include hyperthyroidism, hypoxic conditions, surgery, and alcohol intoxication. A predisposing condition exists in more than 90% of cases; the remaining cases have what is called lone AF. Comparing with agematched controls, the relative risk for stroke is increased twoto sevenfold in patients with nonrheumatic AF, and the absolute risk for stroke is between 1% and 5% per year, depending on clinical characteristics. AF can be categorized as paroxysmal, persistent, or permanent.
